Out Clegg and Miliband advisors appointed to House of Lords
A number of prominent out political figures and LGBT allies have been appointed to the the House of Lords.
A total of 45 new peers will be appointed in today’s Dissolution Honours list, as David Cameron attempts to rebalance the Lords – bringing the total number of peers in the chamber from 781 to 826.
Among them are a number of prominent LGBT political figures, including Labour’s Spencer Livermore – previously dubbed “the most powerful gay man in British politics.”
In late 2013 he returned to the political arena as the Labour Party’s General Election Campaign Director for the 2015 general election – and played a key role in running Ed Miliband’s campaign.
Mr Livermore – who was later criticised for his part in Labour’s defeat – previously worked as Director of Strategy to former Prime Minister Gordon Brown until 2008.
He also previously ranked top in PinkNews’ 50 most powerful LGBT people in British politics.
Jonny Oates – Nick Clegg’s openly gay chief of staff from 2010 to 2015 – will also be awarded a peerage. He was part of Mr Clegg’s team as the Lib Dems campaigned for the legalisation of equal marriage.
Gay Ex-Tory MP Greg Barker – who came out in 2006 after the Sun reported he had left his wife for an antique dealer – was also among those to land a peerage.
Former Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone – credited as the architect of marriage equality – was also handed a peerage, alongside ex-MP Don Foster, who represented the Lib Dems at the PinkNews Debate earlier this year.
Former Foreign Secretary William Hague – who warned about the “worsening” situation for LGBT rights abroad at last year’s the PinkNews Awards – is also heading to the House of Lords as one of the 26 Conservatives appointed.
