London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Apr 01, 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
King Charles Plans US State Visit as UK Strengthens Ties with Trump Leadership
UK Regulator Launches Investigation Into Microsoft’s Business Software Practices
Kanye West Set for High-Profile Return to UK Stage at Wireless Festival
Trump Presses Europe to Strengthen Commitment as Iran Conflict Escalates
UK to Deploy Additional Troops to Middle East Amid Rising Regional Tensions
UK Authorities Face Claims of Heavy-Handed Measures in Monitoring Released Pro-Palestine Activists
Trump Calls on UK to Secure Its Own Energy as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Nigel Farage Declines Invitation to UK Conservative Conference Led by Liz Truss
Trump Warns Allies to Take Responsibility as Rift Deepens with UK and France Over Iran Conflict
How Britain’s Prime Minister Controls U.S. Bomber Access in Escalating Iran Conflict
Trump Urges Allies to Secure Their Own Oil Supplies as Hormuz Crisis Disrupts Global Energy
Russia Expels British Diplomat as UK Pushes Back Against Pressure
White House App Faces Scrutiny After Claims of Continuous User Location Tracking
BBC Faces Scrutiny Over Allegations of Paid Content Linked to Saudi Arabia
UK-France Coastal Patrol Agreement Nears Breakdown Amid Migration Pressures
UK Police Detain Pro-Palestine Activist Again Weeks After Bail Release
FTSE 100 Advances as Energy and Mining Shares Gain Amid Middle East Tensions
Eli Lilly Seeks UK Pricing Deal to Unlock Renewed Pharmaceutical Investment
Three Arrested in UK After Massive Cocaine Haul Discovered Hidden in Banana Shipment
UK Fuel Prices Poised for Further Surge Amid Global Energy Pressures
Apple Subsidiary Penalized by UK Authorities for Breach of Moscow Sanctions
Western Allies Intensify Coordinated Sanctions Strategy Against Russia
UK Lawmakers Face Criticism Over Renewed Push for Social Media Restrictions
Starmer Signals UK Crackdown on Addictive Social Media Features
Rising Costs Push One in Five UK Hospitality Businesses to the Brink of Closure
Man Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Car Strikes Pedestrians in UK, Injuring Seven
Escalating Conflict Involving Iran Tightens Fiscal Pressures and Highlights UK Economic Vulnerabilities
UK Moves to Confront Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operating in Its Waters
UK Housing Divide Deepens as Older Owners Hold Wealth While Under-30s Face Mounting Barriers
London Demonstration Calls on UK to Recognize Iranian Opposition’s Provisional Government
UK Green Party Vote on ‘Zionism is Racism’ Motion Collapses Amid Internal Disputes and Technical Failures
SNL UK Ignites Debate with Sharp Royal Satire Targeting Prince Andrew and Prince William
EU Proposes ‘Emergency Brake’ to Resolve Deadlock in UK Youth Mobility Talks
Thousands Rally in London to Oppose Rise of Far-Right Movements
Hong Kong Official Rejects Allegations of Surveillance Orders Targeting UK-Based Dissidents
PayPal Expands Cryptocurrency Services to Allow UK Users to Buy and Sell Bitcoin
UK Minister Challenges Reform Party’s ‘Pro-Family’ Agenda as Debate Intensifies
Concerns Grow Over Meningitis Risk Among UK Students Amid Warning Signs of New Outbreaks
Japanese Grand Prix 2026: Schedule, UK Start Times and Full Broadcast Details
Electric Vehicles Seen as Strategic Solution to UK Fuel Reserve Concerns
Rise of Lone-Actor Threats and Online Radicalisation Drives New Wave of Antisemitic Attacks in the UK
Canada Advances Plan to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations in Election Campaigns
UK Faces Looming Medicine Shortages as Iran Conflict Threatens Supply Chains
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in the U.K. Highlights Urgent Need for Vaccination
Fresh Claims Emerge Over Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit as Insider Speaks Out
NATO Assessment Indicates UK Defence Spending Has Fallen Below Alliance Average
FTSE 100 Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Investor Sentiment
UK Economy Begins to Feel Early Impact of Iran Conflict as Policy Challenges Intensify
Russian National Jailed in UK After Assault Case Linked to Barron Trump’s Alert
Energy Price Surge Accelerates Shift Away from Fossil Fuels in UK Homes
×