Tackle Interview #6: Lynne Featherstone MP

Literally running late for our appointment, Tackle has no time for consulting directions to the Equalities Minister’s North London HQ. Handy then, that Lynne Featherstone’s office is based above the local pub. In fact it’s the pub, not the office where I discover her, immediately gesturing for me to wait while she finishes dealing with a constituent. It occurs to me that this sort of strict policy on time keeping might be a survival instinct born out of the demands placed on her (she works seven days a week and was described as a ‘saint’ throughout the recent expenses scandal).

We escape the buzz of the quiz machines and street level humidity to settle upstairs in the calm of her ever-expanding office. Originally, a temporary shelter during a previous election storm that saw her become MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, the place has grown along side Featherstone’s own responsibilities at the heart of the coalition. A self-confessed talker (“I’ve never been able to keep my mouth shut”) we discuss West Ham, Murdoch and Theresa May’s wardrobe (she’s a fan).

You grew up in North London, was it obvious where your football allegiances should lie?

I came to Highgate at the age of 5. I don’t know where I came from (worrying few seconds pause)…Barnet! I’m ashamed to admit it but my allegiance was first to West Ham. The man I married was a supporter. He always told me he could have played for West Ham but I shouldn’t have believed him on that occasion and many after (laughs). My youngest tried for Arsenal ladies and didn’t get in – that ended my allegiances with them and obviously I support Tottenham now. Who else?

Where does the drive for equality come from? It’s not the sort of thing you fall into I’m guessing?

Where I see injustice I can’t live with myself if I don’t try and tackle it. If I hear someone make a racist remark or big children being horrible to little children I step in where angels fear to tread I guess. It’s a privilege to fight injustice; of course the frustration is you can’t make the world behave right just by saying so. It’s much tougher than that.

Did you have a lot of gay friends growing up?

Oh god! That was a long time ago when the gay movement was getting going. I was studying design at Oxford Polytechnic, my sister’s best friend was a gay guy and through him I met a whole group of gay guys and I used to hang with them. I got called, um…not sure I can say!

In 2007 you became youth and equalities minister for the Liberal Democrats, how did you find your dealing with young gay people?

It’s hard enough growing up anyway but its incredibly complicated if you don’t feel you fit a norm in your school. My liberal democrat group on Haringey council has four civil partnerships. I’ve always grown up with gay being the norm! Young people have a particularly hard time and homophobic bullying is epidemic in this country.

Has it got worse if anything?

I think bullying in general has. Sexist bullying goes unchallenged. Interestingly, racist doesn’t.

How did you justify working within the coalition knowing the history of the Conservative Party?

I saw it as an opportunity. The conservatives had a difficult history. Strange really, as they have a lot of out MPs now (laughs). So it was interesting because of their voting history and obviously the Home Secretary herself, although she did vote for civil partnerships.

But no to gay adoption?

Yes and I got a lot of emails when I was announce as equalities minister saying bad things about the home secretary which I defended because, firstly, she went on Question Time to say she made a mistake which I thought took some to do. Secondly we are going to be working together and what I sensed about her and the Conservatives was a desire to leave that past behind. So I saw it as an opportunity because they wanted to leave that record behind them and thus it has proved. In everything we’ve done on equality for LGBT issues I’ve had nothing but support from Theresa May.

So you have a good working relationship?

Yes we have a good working relationship. We agree about virtually nothing! (laughs) but she’s a Conservative and I’m a Liberal Democrat so we are bound to come from different positions in life.

Plus there’s the space attire?

I actually like the way she dresses! I think she is a good-looking woman who dresses very interestingly and she wears some really stylish stuff I have to say.

Any you’re the most fanciable MP so that’s an interesting combination right there?

Ha yes but that was a long time ago anyway when we disagree we work towards a common position. I get quite cross when people endlessly hark back…

To the 80s?

Endlessly to the 80s! I don’t mind them mentioning it once but I think its fantastic that the gay movement has changed everything in this country. I was just in Nepal in India and they are where we were 40 years ago. Now the Conservative party has changed and what a success that is because that was a last bastion in some ways. No longer.

You’ve said in the past that you wanted to “take on” Page 3, very much like Vince Cable “declared war” on Murdoch. These things always seemed unthinkable, post-NOTW are they now possible?

Ha! The page 3 thing is hilarious. I was at a hustings and a woman in the front row asked the question. I said I’d love to take on The Sun and Harriet (Harman) said she’d love to take them on too. It was just that level of banter. I would love to take them on but it’s more than I can manage on my own. We’ve discussed whether this is the moment to have a go at Page 3, my sense is that page 3 is probably more difficult than the entire Murdoch empire! I’m a Liberal Democrat; I’m not a prude. I don’t mind all this stuff on the top shelf. I don’t want it in my face on the tube; I don’t think that’s fair.

There are serious issues as to how those women are viewed, there is another argument that these women choose to do it and they have free will. I would love to think that we lived in an age where women’s rights meant women could get equal pay and could earn as much as they do taking their top off for The Sun in another profession.

How about the timing of Vince Cable’s original Statement? Is he vindicated?

Yes absolutely. Firstly I though it was a shabby horrible thing to do to go to someone’s surgery and tape them. That’s like going to a priest! We say all sorts of things to make people feel comfortable. We empathize; we might say things we don’t say in public. So to have taped that I thought was outrageous. That being said, Vince should have erred on the side of caution given his position and I have to say my first thought when it came public was what a pity he is out of that position. Events have shown the truth will out and it is a great thing to see the end of singular domination of a media outlet that can actually have such a grip on politicians. And it would be easy to blame Labour and the Conservatives as the Liberal Democrats were out of this, we were not in anyone’s way. We were not in the papers!

How much has the Murdoch Empire been responsible for shaping a homophobic culture over the past few decades?

There’s certainly an element of that. It’s not just homophobia. They attacked women. Trans is an absolute nightmare! 89% of trans suffer hate crime. It’s all the tabloids not just Murdoch. I’m obviously an advocate of free speech but it’s a very negative world. They do it with Muslim terrorists, Jewish businessmen and when I’m in the media they always put my age, which I would say is sexist. What I’m saying is that newspapers try and denigrate anything.

How about Max Clifford advising gay footballers not to come out and creating cover stories?

I don’t know a lot about Max Clifford. I think the thing with him is he’s a realist, he just does what’s in front of him and he’s clearly very good at what he does. The thing is the change has to come from somewhere else its not going to come from Max Clifford. Out of 3,500 footballers in the league I can’t believe they are all straight. I don’t know if you are aware of the government charter? It’s quite simple – the first stage is to get everyone to sign up to it. It’s not been done before. The initial sign up is by the big governing bodies of sport, the FA are signed up to it, as are the LTA. Then it moves to individuals, fans. The next stage is what are they doing in their own sector? I just tried to get a meeting with the chairman of the FA.

How much influence can the government have over the way football conducts itself?

Well, you know what – I’m a Liberal Democrat and no one would have said I could be a minister. Hello! I’m a minister. You work in a direction and every time you raise something there is a movement. You’re doing it! All sorts of people are rising up to say enough is enough. It’s not about legislation its about saying its unacceptable. Cultural change comes when something suddenly becomes unacceptable as has happened with racism to an extent. Clearly homophobia is an issue if you have 3,500 straight footballers!

Can the government make the FA do anything particular?

No we can’t. But I think that both Theresa May and myself have raised the issue of the FA and how football needs to get its act together. The messages haven’t failed to get through and they have signed up for the charter. Everything shifts. I’m pushing for gay marriage and straight civil partnerships; no one in London has batted an eyelid! Go back 20 years and people will have thrown their hands in horror.

Too often it seems, fans are blamed for no progress on the matter?

I think that’s ridiculous. Where’s that come from?

Max Clifford and Gordon Taylor have both pointed the finger.

Well, don’t listen to them; this is why I need my meeting with the FA Chairman, to discuss with him. The evidence based on fans is that two thirds believe football would be better without homophobia. It’s clearly not just the fans. If the management and sponsors said this should stop, it would stop. I’m optimistic, I think it will happen and my job’s to just keep the pressure on.

When do you think it will happen?

Oh gosh hopefully while I’m still minister for equalities!

How long have you got?!

Well in ministerial terms, not that long! I don’t know we have been graced with no reshuffle so far but really it doesn’t matter who’s minister so long as it happens before the end of this parliament. With all these things you move in a direction, there’s always a long way to go but you just keep moving, just keep moving.