20 October, 2009

Gordon Brown today praised LGBT Labour's "Dorothy's List" for helping to encourage diversity in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister made the comment during an evidence session of the Speaker's Conference on Parliamentary Representation. This morning's session saw members ask each of the three main party leaders what their parties were doing to identify and support a more diverse range of parliamentary candidates.

In response to a question from Betty Williams MP about how local resistance to promoting diversity might be overcome, the Prime Minister said:

"Emily's List has been very important; Bernie's List in terms of black and asian representation; Dorothy's List in relation to LGBT representation.

"All these have been important to establishing and encouraging the principle that more women, more disabled people, more black and ethnic minority people should be represented in Parliament, as well as lesbians and gays."

During the evidence session, the Prime Minister also suggested to the conference that the palace authorities should allow civil partnerships in the Houses of Parliament.

Katie Hanson, LGBT Labour co-chair, said:

"We believe Dorothy's List is very important to help more LGBT Labour candidates get elected as MPs - and therefore make the House of Commons more representative.

"We welcome the support from Gordon Brown for Dorothy's List - alongside Emily's List for women candidates and Bernie's List for black, asian and minority ethnic candidates, it shows that Labour is the party that is prepared to take action to improve equality in the House of Commons."

Dorothy's List has currently raised £6326.90 to support the 25 openly-LGBT candidates that have been selected to stand for Labour at the next election.