Equality adviser quits accusing ministers of creating ‘hostile environment’ for LGBT people

Jayne Ozanne fears a ‘return to the days of Section 28’ - under a government listening ‘only to right wing evangelicals’

An equality adviser has quit accusing the government of creating a “hostile environment” for LGBT people by failing to ban conversion therapy.

Jayne Ozanne also attacked equality ministers Kemi Badenoch and Liz Truss for being “ignorant” and for ignoring the advice of their own advisory panel.

Accusing the government of listening “only to right-wing evangelicals”, she also spoke of her fears of a “return to the days of Section 28” – Margaret Thatcher’s notorious anti-gay legislation.

“I’ve been increasingly concerned about what is seen to be a hostile environment for LGBT people among this administration.” Ms Ozanne told ITV News.

Criticising Ms Badenoch and Ms Truss, she said: “They are known among the community as the ‘ministers for inequality’. I don’t believe that they understand LGBT people, particularly trans people.

“I’ve sat in meetings and I’ve been astonished about how ignorant they are on issues that affect the real lives, particularly of younger people.”

There is mounting criticism of Boris Johnson for dragging his heels on a promised ban on conversion therapy – a pledge made in an action plan almost three years ago.

The practice attempts to supposedly “cure” people of their sexuality, the Stonewall charity warning that 5 per cent of LGBT people have been pressured to take part.

In a debate on Monday, Ms Badenoch refused to set a timetable for a ban, despite insisting ministers are “committed to ending conversion therapy in the UK and we take the issue very seriously”.

Ms Ozanne said she was resigning partly to “appeal to the prime minister, who I believe is a friend of the LGBT+ community, to act”.

“The proposals that are going forward on conversion therapy do not have the confidence of the LGBT community, do not have the confidence of many senior religious leaders who’ve also called for a ban,” she warned.

And, in her fiercest criticism, she added: “There are many who fear that we are going back to the days of Thatcher, the days of Section 28.

“The language that I hear from them is of us being woke, or of being loud lobby groups, and what they don’t seem to understand is the reason we have to shout is because we are hurting, because there are people who are vulnerable who are going unheard and unnoticed.

“I do not believe this Tory government, sadly, have the best wishes of the LGBT community at heart.

“Instead we seem to have a Trumpesque mode of operation where they’re listening to the right-wing evangelicals and those frankly who want to take us back.”

A government spokesperson said it was “committed to building a country in which everyone, no matter their sexuality, race or religion, is free to live their lives as they choose”.

“We have repeatedly made clear that we will take action to end conversion therapy.”