London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 31, 2026

Advisers quit government over 'hostile' LGBT+ stance

Advisers quit government over 'hostile' LGBT+ stance

Two members of the government's LGBT advisory panel have quit after accusing ministers of not being serious about reform.

Jayne Ozanne said ministers had created a "hostile environment" for LGBT people.

The government says it is "committed to building a country" where people are "free to live their lives as they choose".

In a second resignation, James Morton questioned the commitment to equality.

Mr Morton told the BBC the government's "failure" to mention gender identity or transgender people in the statement responding to Jayne Ozanne's resignation was the "final straw".

In an interview with ITV News , Ms Ozanne said there had been "a lack of engagement" with the group, and ministers acted against their advice.

She said one of the reasons for her resignation was to "appeal" to Boris Johnson to take action over LGBT conversion therapy - which she has been through herself.

The issue was debated in Parliament on Monday, after repeated pledges from the government - and Mr Johnson - to ban the practice.

But MPs reacted angrily when Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch would not give a timeline for legislation, instead saying the government was "committed" to "ending" it.

Labour's shadow equality minister, Marsha de Cordova, accused the government of "a pattern of behaviour which seeks to dismiss the real impact of the discrimination experienced by so many".

The government said it would bring forward its plans "shortly".

In the interview, the campaigner, who describes herself as a gay evangelical Christian, said both Ms Badenoch and Minister for Women and Equalities Liz Truss were known amongst the LGBT+ community as "the ministers for inequality".

She told ITV: "I don't believe that they understand LGBT people, particularly transgender people.

"I've sat in meetings and I've been astonished about how ignorant they are on issues that affect the real lives, particularly of younger people."

Ms Ozanne said she believed Mr Johnson was "a friend of the LGBT community".

But she appealed for him to take action on the gay conversion ban, saying the current proposals "do not have the confidence of the LGBT community [or] the confidence of many senior religious leaders who've also called for a ban".

'We are hurting'


Ms Ozanne also told ITV she did not believe the Conservative government had "the best wishes of the LGBT community at heart".

She added: "The language that I hear from them is of us being woke, or of being loud lobby groups, and what they don't seem to understand is the reason we have to shout is because we are hurting, because there are people who are vulnerable who are going unheard and unnoticed."

After her resignation, a government spokesman said: "The government is committed to building a country in which everyone, no matter their sexuality, race or religion, is free to live their lives as they choose.

"We have repeatedly made clear that we will take action to end conversion therapy and we are working to bring forward plans to do so shortly."

James Morton, one of the trans people on the panel, said he has been "very concerned for several months that Liz Truss and her junior ministers are not committed to LGBT equality".

"It doesn't appear that they're doing anything useful or helpful for trans people, in terms of government policy" he said.

The LGBT Advisory Council was set up in 2019 with the term of current panel members set to end on March 31st.


Jayne Ozanne spoke to the BBC in 2018 about her own experience of gay conversion therapy


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ScottishPower Recycles Nearly All Materials From Historic Hagshaw Hill Wind Farm
Millions Travel Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland for Summer Bank Holiday
Met Office Issues Yellow Thunderstorm Warnings Across Southern England
Four Arrested After Bank Holiday Stabbing Violence in Kettering
Scottish Chamber of Commerce Warns Tax and Business Costs Risk Holding Back Scotland
UK Government Launches Youth Employment Drive With Major Retailers
UK and Ukraine Advance AI and Defence Technology Partnership
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Moves to Exclude Serious Offenders From Early Release
Twelve Arrested After A66 Crash Kills Seven, Including Two Police Officers
Bank of England Governor Warns AI Investment Boom Could Trigger Global Market Correction
London Science Museum Ends Long-Running BP Sponsorship
Scottish Homeowners Prepare Valuation Challenges Over Proposed Mansion Tax
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Undercover Police in Spycops Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Avanti West Coast Drivers Agree 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Action
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
UK Government Retreats From Plan to Unfreeze Personal Income Tax Threshold
Northern Ireland Leaders Press UK Government for Sustainable Funding Settlement
UK Health Agency Warns Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak Could Worsen
NHS Warns Autism and ADHD Assessment Costs Have Become Unsustainable
UK Rejects Moratorium on AI Data Centres Despite Energy and Water Concerns
Thames Water Creditors Offer Government Golden Share in £10 Billion Rescue Plan
UK Warns Defence Executives of Russian Assassination and Sabotage Threats
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% Amid Inflation Risks
UK Restricts Early Prison Release for Serious Offenders as Jails Near Capacity
Genetic Study Finds Medieval Britain’s ‘Conquest Man’ Had Scandinavian Origins
Kemi Badenoch Plans Conservative Frontbench Reshuffle After Cleverly Departure
Nissan Sunderland Plant Highlighted as Key Economic Anchor for North East England
UK Arts Report Finds Women Face Persistent Barriers to Career Progression
Private Equity Consolidation of UK Veterinary Practices Raises Consumer Cost Concerns
South West Water Ranked Worst in England for Environmental Performance
British Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Threat
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Officers in Undercover Policing Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Conservative Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.7% as Growth Stalls and Inflation Eases
UK Government Announces Electricity VAT Cut and £2 Bus Fare Cap
UK Officials Highlight 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations With Philippines
Heavy Rain Disrupts Parts of England After Weeks of Extreme Summer Heat
More Than 200 Extra Police Officers Deployed Across Cleveland After Violent Incidents
Burnham Meets Northern Ireland Leaders for Talks on Economy and Youth Employment
Burnham to Abstain From UK Assisted Dying Vote
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Financial and Staffing Pressures Ahead of Autumn
UK Treasury Prepares October Budget as Defense and Public Spending Pressures Mount
Scottish Government Publishes Draft Bill for Second Independence Referendum
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
UK and Ukraine Agree AI-Focused Defense Technology Partnership
US Reportedly Weighs Falkland Islands Policy Shift to Pressure UK Over NATO Spending
UK Government Mobilizes Emergency Aid as British Nationals Remain Missing After Nepal Floods
UK Hospitality Industry Reports Stronger Summer Trading but Seeks Tax Relief
×