‘Appalling’ speech by equalities minister was final straw, says LGBT+ adviser who quit government

Boris Johnson’s equalities minister Kemi Badenoch is under pressure to resign after three of the government’s LGBT+ advisers quit their posts and issued damning criticism.

Jayne Ozanne was the first to quit the LGBT+ advisory panel on Wednesday – accusing Ms Badenoch and fellow equalities minister Liz Truss of letting the community down by failing to deliver on a 2018 Tory party promise to “eradicate”conversion therapy.

She was followed by James Morton, who expressed concerned that the government’s equality ministers were “not committed to LGBT equality”.

Ellen Murray became the third person to quit the panel on Thursday, writing on Twitter that she decided to leave “worsening hostility towards our community in myriad areas”.

Ms Ozanne said the “final straw” came after Monday’s debate in the Commons saw MPs from across the House call on the government to act urgently to ban the widely discredited and denounced practice.

“The minister for equalities Kemi Badenoch replied with the most appalling speech, which frankly showed no understanding of any of the issues that I and others have been trying to talk to her about over the last few years,” she told the BBC.

The former adviser added: “I have called on Kemi to consider her position ... I don’t believe that [Kemi Badenoch and Liz Truss] have the best interests of the LGBT community in their minds.”

Ms Ozanne, who describes herself as a gay evangelical Christian, said she had been a victim of conversion therapy. “I know how much it traumatises people. I get contacted almost daily by people of all ages who have fallen foul of it.”

She added: “The prime minister did use the word ‘ban’ last July. But ever since [ministers] have continued to talk about ‘ending it’.

“It’s just not good enough to try and dodge these words and to try to pretend that they’re going to bring legislation, when there’s actually not been any proposals brought forward to do that.”

On Monday Ms Badenoch could not be drawn on any specific plan for legislation, but said: “We need to explore all measures to combat these abhorrent practices and ensure measures to combat these abhorrent practices and ensure survivors have access to the help and care they need.”

Ms Ozanne also said that government has not included trans people in any of its pledges to take action on conversion therapy.

“Sadly, there has been never any mention of protecting our trans friends who are twice as likely to be offered and to be forced to go through conversion therapy,” the ex-adviser told Good Morning Britain earlier on Thursday.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said Ms Badenoch had “lost the confidence” of the LGBT+ community. “The equalities minister should resign … Her feeble response in parliament on Monday night on conversion therapy was the last straw.”

Tory MP Caroline Nokes, who chairs the women and equalities select committee, said she was “disappointed” the government was “rowing back” on any attempt to legislate to eradicate conversion therapy.

It came as a group of nearly 20 LGBT+ organisations wrote to Ms Badenoch to express their “deep concern” at her response to calls to ban conversion therapy.

The leaders said they “fail to understand why – after nearly 1,000 days – coming forward with meaningful legislation is taking so much time”.

Downing Street said the government has been “clear that conversion therapy is wrong and we are committed to ending these vile practices for good”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the government has a “blindspot” on LGBT+ issues, and said the prime minister “needs to address it”. He said he would “absolutely” ban conversion therapy by law. “It’s abhorrent and we’re 100 per cent against it.”