Letter from Westminster
January 30, 2006 1:39 PM
By Stephen Williams MP in Clifton Chronicle
By Stephen Williams MP in Clifton Chronicle
This week saw me busy on both health and education issues while the party suffered another convulsion as a result of the personal lives of two colleagues.
I started the week preparing some amendments to the Education Select Committee draft report on the White Paper. The report is based on seven evidence sessions in November and December including two appearances by Ruth Kelly as well as numerous other witnesses from local government, the unions, academia and parents and head teachers.
At the Select Committee meeting it becomes quite clear that the Tory members wont agree to criticise the government's proposals. We had two marathon sessions of the committee on Monday and Wednesday. This meant me missing Prime Minister's Questions for the first time!
We eventually agreed a majority report of the Labour and Lib Dem members. The Tories table their own minority report that praises Blair and the White Paper. It is naked political opportunism. I was pleased that we were able to improve the report in several respects, including safeguards for fair admissions to state schools for a balanced social intake, a register of suitable trustees for "trust schools" and targeting the work of the new choice advisers at disadvantaged families.
On the health front I spoke in a debate on NHS structures. I also visited Cancer UK's Healthy Living Day "Wheel of Life" - based on the old Wheel of Fortune game. Spinning the wheel produced results such as eat an apple, walk up the stairs, etc! Back in Bristol I met the National Childrens Hospice Association to promote the fundraising and awareness campaign mounted by Somerfield and The Sun.
Mid week I went to the 25th anniversary party of Gay Times. The February magazine is a special edition featuring 75 famous gay men and women from all walks of life. There are full page pictures of people such as the historian David Starkey, comedian Graham Norton and the artist Maggie Hambling. There is a group picture of four MPs, including me! The magazine is in the shops now.
At the event I met Peter Tatchell for the first time and we have an interesting discussion. I did not know that at that very moment Simon Hughes was meeting The Sun...
All week I had been bombarded with calls from journalists about the sexual preferences of my colleagues. As the party's only openly gay MP I can give a rather different perspective on "coming out" and the impact of sexuality on politics. I long ago took the view that it was better to be open rather than secretive. This means I have been able to operate as a Lib Dem MP who happens to be gay and the media are more likely to report my views on health, education and tax.
But "coming out" is an intensely personal thing to do and everyone has to decide when is the best time for them. Until then every gay person finds a form of words to get them through any tricky questions about their private life. Society has moved on hugely in recent years but it is still not easy to be gay. Protecting your privacy is not the same as promising to reduce taxes and then putting them up.
Sex and politics have been a heady mix for centuries. Surely it is now right to judge politicians by what they do in the cabinet room, rather than the bedroom?
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