Andy Jaeger

It was LGB hustings night, as organised by Village Drinks, at the King’s Fund, in support of Stonewall, so it seemed like a good idea to go along. Except, disaster, there was a cash bar. No party conference warm white wine here. So Paul headed off to find a cash machine. Problem solved. I suppose in the current economic climate you can’t expect a freebie!

The hustings were chaired by Ben Summerskill, who did an excellent job, happily bringing each of the elected politicians in to line with jokes about their expenses. I say each of the elected politicians, because there was a late addition from the Green Party, a local candidate from East London on his first foray into national politics. And given the circumstances, I think he did well.

Chris Bryant MP kicked off for the Labour Party. He avoided the usual litany of Labour achievements related to LGB rights, and instead focused on the challenges: tackling homophobic bullying in school, combating hate related violence and persuading EU states to recognise UK civil partnerships. Moving on to say that “the days when people voted according to their sexual preference are gone”, he stated that he thought the key issue in election, whether gay or straight, was the economy.

Lynne Featherstone MP came next for the Liberal Democrats. Having been chided by Ben Summerskill for the two pasta ready meals she claimed on expenses back in 2007 (she claims they were dinner for a researcher) she set out a strong case for her party, saying they were “liberal through and through, and not just at elections” and that at the heart of their policies was the idea that “no-one shall be enslaved by conformity”. As their lead for equalities issues, she clearly had a strong grasp on her portfolio, tackling a wide range of issues including transphobia, gender identity and the ban on gay men giving blood. She took a little while to get round to talking about the economy, but her description of Vince ‘Walk On Water’ Cable raised a laugh in the room.

Nick Herbert MP was up next for the Conservatives. His opening gambit was about his own civil partnership, which was held in the register office at Lambeth Town Hall in Brixton, as he said with “plastic flowers in the room and dog shit on the pavement.” And he went on to talk at length, and with some passion, about the changes in the Conservative Party. He had some interesting observations, saying that if the Tories win with a majority of just one, they would have more openly gay politicians in Parliament than any other party. He talked about an aspiration that all political parties should be a safe place for a gay vote, and hoped that there would be genuine bi-partisan consensus. And on the subject of homophobic bullying, he made a call for “leadership not law.”

And finally, our only unelected politician, Chris Smith who is standing for the Greens in Tower Hamlets. Surprisingly, he touched only briefly on the the Greens’ strong LGBT manifesto, and instead focused on broader green concerns, around the environment, consumerism, living standards and housing.

So that was the opening gambits over and done with. Questions at hustings are always more interesting though, as they get the politicians off the script and more off the cuff. The stand out exchange of the evening came between Chris Bryant and Ben Summerskill, in response to an audience question about the role of Rupert Murdoch.

Chris Bryant: Some time I ago, I met Rupert Murdoch, and I have to say he is the most casually violent person I’ve ever met.

Ben Summerskill: Even more than Gordon Brown?

[laughter from the audience]

Chris Bryant: If you think there’s anything casual about Gordon’s violence, you really know nothing.

So, what did I learn from the evening. I’d gone in to the event thinking seriously about voting Green, but Chris Smith’s comment about Peter Tatchell being on the right wing of the party has made me think twice about their economics. Chris Bryant seemed tetchy and humourless for much of the evening, and seemed genuinely disappointed that his attempts at Tory bashing were falling on largely deaf ears in the room. Lynne Featherstone seemed lovely, and someone you’d definitely want to share a bottle of wine with. But the real surprise of the evening was Nick Herbert. While by no means a heart on his sleeve gay activist, he was engaging, passionate and well informed. And yet, I’m left with a nagging fear that all the talk of the Conservatives having changed might come to nothing.

I’m entering this election as a floating but engaged voter. I want my vote to count for something, but this evening has left me no clearer about where my vote should go. Ben Summerskill closed the evening by saying that he was waiting for the manifestos, which he would read in private, and vote accordingly. I think that might just be a wise move.

Tags: Conservatives, election, Greens, King's Fund, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Social change, Stonewall, village drinks