Caroline Lucas makes history as first Green MP
Caroline Lucas made history last night by becoming the Green Party’s first MP.
The party has consistently been ranked the best for gay equality issues by PinkNews.co.uk readers.
Ms Lucas, who won a seat in the European Parliament last year, won Brighton Pavilion with a 1,252-vote majority.
She won 31.3. per cent of the vote, with Labour, which previously held the seat, on 28.9 per cent.
After the results were announced, Ms Lucas said: “Today the people of Brighton Pavilion have made history by electing Britain’s first Green MP to Westminster.
“Thank you so much for putting the politics of hope above the politics of fear and I pledge that I will do my very best to do you proud.
“For once the word historic fits the bill.”
She has lead the party since 2008 and will give up her seat in the European parliament now she has been elected a constituency MP.
The Greens made 14 gay-friendly election promises to the gay community in a manifesto last month.
These included opening up civil partnerships and marriages to straight and gay couples and ending the gay blood donation ban.
Other policies were amending the Equality Act to protect LGBT people from harassment, removing equality law exemptions for faith schools and refusing visas and work permits to singers who condone homophobia.
The last PinkNews.co.uk election poll of almost 1,000 people put the party on ten per cent, up two per cent from last month.
Thirty-eight per cent of our readers voted the party as the best on gay equality issues.
