Brown aide named most powerful gay person in Britain
A protester holds a rainbow flag outside the Houses of Parliament in central London on June 3, 2013, as protesters gather in support of same-sex marriage (LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)
PinkNews.co.uk, Europe’s largest gay news publication, has published its list of the fifty most powerful openly LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) people in British politics.
Gordon Brown’s Director of Political Strategy, Spencer Livermore tops a list that contains 17 Labour party members, 11 Conservatives, seven Liberal Democrats, three greens and one Plaid Cymru. The list contains five senior civil servants and special advisers.
The list goes beyond elected representatives to include Whitehall journalists.
Spencer Livermore, profiled on PinkNews.co.uk today, speaks to Gordon Brown throughout the day.
Nick Brown, the Deputy Chief Whip is listed as the second most powerful with Peter Mandelson at number three. Treasury minister Angela Eagle is ranked as the most powerful lesbian at number four.
Howell James, Permanent Secretary of Government Communications, is listed at 14.
Tony Grew, editor of PinkNews.co.uk said: “while other publications have focused on gays in the entertainment industry, these are the fifty LGBT people who have real influence in our political life.”
The list that was complied by the publication’s editorial team in conjunction with a number of senior journalists
Full Profiles are available by clicking here
1 Spencer Livermore, 32, Director of Political Strategy, 10 Downing Street
2 Nick Brown, 57, Deputy Chief Whip, MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
3 Peter Mandelson, 54, EU Trade Commissioner
4 Angela Eagle, 46, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, MP for Wallasey
5 Ben Bradshaw, 47, Minister of State for Health Services, Labour MP for Exeter
6 Andrew Pierce, 46, Assistant Editor, Daily Telegraph
7 Ben Summerskill, 46, Chief Executive of Stonewall
8 Nick Herbert, 44, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, MP for Arundel and South Downs
9 Michael Cashman, 56, Labour MEP for the West Midlands
10 Stephen Williams, 41, Liberal Democrats spokesman for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, MP for Bristol West
11 Matthew Parris, 58, journalist and broadcaster
12 Paul Jenkins, Treasury Solicitor
13 Gregory Barker, 43, Shadow Environment Secretary MP for Battle and Bexhill
14 Howell James CBE, Permanent Secretary, Government Communications
15 Alan Duncan, 50, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform MP for Rutland and Melton
16 Adam Price, 39, Plaid Cymru MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
17 Margot James, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Stourbridge
18 Simon Hughes, 56, President of the Liberal Democrats MP for North Southwark and Bermondsey
19 Waheed Alli, Baron Alli, 43, Labour Peer
20 Julian Glover, journalist and author
21 Brian Paddick, 49, Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London
22 Nick Boles, 42, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Grantham and Stamford
23 Peter Tatchell, 55, Green party parliamentary prospective candidate for Oxford East, Chief campaigner, OutRage!
24 Patrick Harvie, 34, Green MSP for Glasgow Region
25 Dan Ritterband, 32, director of Boris Johnson’s campaign for Mayor of London
26 Chris Bryant, 45, Labour MP for Rhondda
27 Ray Collins, assistant general secretary, Unite
28 Iain Dale, 45, blogger
29 Michael Portillo, 54, political commentator
30 Lord Chris Smith, 56, Labour Peer
31 Iain Smith, 47, Liberal Democrats MSP for North East Fife
32 Margaret Smith, 46, Liberal Democrats MSP for Edinburgh West
33 Alan Wardle, public affairs director, Local Government Association
34 David Borrow, 55, Labour MP for South Ribble
35 Clive Betts, 57, Labour MP for Sheffield Attercliffe
36 Steven Purcell, 34, Labour leader of Glasgow City Council
37 Steve Reed, Labour leader of Lambeth Council
38 Brian Coleman, 56, Conservative member of the London Assembly
39 Darren Johnson, 43, Green member of the London Assembly
40 Sir Simon Milton, 45, Conservative leader of Westminster City Council
41 Richard Barnes, Conservative member of the London Assembly
42 Rodney Berman, 38, Liberal Democrats Leader of Cardiff Council
43 Jenny Bailey, 45, Liberal Democrats mayor of Cambridge
44 Philip Hensher, 42, journalist
45 Angela Mason CBE, 63, adviser
46 Johann Hari, 28, journalist
47 Seb Dance, 26, special adviser to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
48 Mark Meredith, 42, Labour Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent
49 Mike Wolfe, 56, former independent Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent
50 Pav Akhtar, Labour party councillor, Lambeth
