LGBT+ Labour has announced it has raised £27,500 to support LGBTQ+ Labour parliamentary candidates ahead of the general election on July 4, surpassing the previous record held since the 2015 general election.
LGBTQ+ Labour said: “LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms are increasingly under threat: from the rise in hate crime, to the failure to deliver a trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy. It is against this backdrop, with LGBTQ+ rights firmly on the ballot, that we see a record number of LGBTQ+ candidates standing to be Labour MPs – almost a quarter of all new parliamentary candidates.
“This election therefore marks a watershed moment for LGBTQ+ representation in UK politics, with the next parliament on track to have the highest LGBTQ+ representation in history. Some estimates suggest a rise on current polling to over 100 LGBTQ+ MPs overall.”
Funds have been raised as part of the Chris Smith List – LGBT+ Labour’s campaign fund established in 2009. The fund is named after Chris Smith, now Lord Smith of Finsbury, in recognition of his groundbreaking step to come out as gay in 1984, becoming the first British MP to do so. He subsequently served as the first openly gay minister and was the first MP to reveal he is HIV positive.
2024’s fund was launched at a parliamentary reception to mark LGBT+ History Month attended by Labour Leader Keir Starmer and Deputy Leader Angela Rayner. Funds will be allocated predominantly to LGBTQ+ candidates standing in battleground seats, with higher donations earmarked for women, trans, BAME and disabled LGBTQ+ candidates currently under-represented in the parliamentary Labour Party. The first round of support is to be distributed on Thursday, 30 May, with applications due to close soon.
Ashley Dalton MP, Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, said: “This impressive fundraising is a testament to LGBT+ Labour’s unwavering commitment to achieving a more inclusive parliament. These funds will be pivotal in getting more LGBTQ+ Labour MPs elected, helping Labour form a government that will push forward crucial reforms – from a full ban on conversion therapy to modernising the Gender Recognition Act. It’s through this representation that we can truly champion LGBTQ+ rights and create a fairer society.”
Joe Dharampal-Hornby, co-chair of LGBT+ Labour, said: “LGBT+ Labour’s mission is clear: to help secure a Labour government and to advance LGBT+ rights and representation across politics. We are proud to be making a significant contribution to help elect more fantastic LGBTQ+ candidates up and down the country to parliament.”
