Simon Kirby was elected as MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven in May 2010. He looks back over the last five years and what he has been able to achieve for LGBT residents in his constituency.
“It is an honour to be the MP for this incredibly special place. I always do my best to stand up for our area and be a strong voice for residents and I have taken up a range of campaigns.
“To be as accessible as possible to all constituents I have held regular constituency advice surgeries at both the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church and the Kemptown Crypt as well as at 10 other locations across the constituency.
“I am particularly proud to represent a constituency with a large LGBT population and have taken a close interest in LGBT issues both local and national.
“I was delighted to be able to play a significant role in getting the Equal Marriage Act through parliament and made a passionate defence of equal marriage at a debate organised by Changing Attitude Sussex. I was honoured to attend one of the first same-sex marriages here in Brighton and I auctioned a signed copy of the Equal Marriage Act, signed by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, to raise funds for the Sussex Beacon.
“I am a strong supporter of Brighton Pride, it is always one of the highlights of my calendar and I always enjoy taking part in the parade. I have also backed local LGBT groups and events, such as the Stonewall equality walk, and have been honoured to attend IDAHOBIT Day and Hate Crime Vigil events organised by the Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum. I have also attended Lunch Positive events and helped raise the profile of the need for regular HIV testing.
“As the Vice Chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on HIV/AIDS I fought hard to safeguard funding for HIV prevention. Whilst welcome progress has been made in the fight against HIV and AIDS, it is clear that more still needs to be done, both at home and abroad, and that is why I was determined to see this funding protected.
“When it became apparent that the financial support for these schemes were under threat I immediately contacted officials within the Department of Health and the Treasury to stress the importance of this funding. As a result of this the Public Health Minister confirmed that the Government investment in HIV prevention would be saved.
“Too often it can feel like the Trans community is overlooked when people talk about the LGBT population. That is why I called for Stonewall to include Trans people when compiling their list of Top 100 employers for LGB people. Stonewall announced in March that in future they will also be campaigning on behalf of trans people.
“As the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, I have been pleased to have been able to achieve a number of successes: for instance, my campaign to secure £420 million in funding for the new Royal Sussex County Hospital, plus a further £68 million announced last month to cover inflationary rises in the building cost, helping the Saltdean Lido CIC obtain investment from the Government of over £2 million to restore the Lido, and obtaining improvements to local roads.
“Looking to the future there are a number of issues I would like to see more action on, including progress on tackling homophobic bullying in schools, the promotion of LGBT equality in other countries around the world that are not as inclusive or tolerant as the UK and pension equality for LGBT couples.
“I am not one of those politicians that only shows up at election time; I work hard on behalf of all residents and will always be a strong voice for the LGBT community. I will continue to do my best for everyone going forward.”
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
You must be logged in to post a comment.