Lynne Featherstone wins Attitude’s ‘Politician of the Year’ award
Lynne Featherstone says she is “absolutely delighted” to have been named “Politician of the Year” at last night’s awards ceremony by Attitude magazine in central London.
The Lib Dem MP was honoured for her previous role as a minister at the government’s Equalities Office where she helped steer the coalition’s joint policy on equal marriage and had a direct responsibility for overseeing this year’s public consultation.
Commenting on her award, Ms Featherstone said:
“I am absolutely delighted to receive this award for Politician of the Year. The government have committed to legislate on equal marriage by 2015, and I look forward to seeing it happen.
“I want to thank Attitude so much for the award, and wish them all the best with their great work in the future!”
In a show of affection for Ms Featherstone’s support for equal marriage, US ice giant Ben and Jerry’s renamed one of its ice creams “Lynne Honeycomb”, and sent a custom-made tub to her office in May of this year.
Accepting the Attitude award on her behalf last night, Liberal Democrat MP for St Austell and Newquay, Stephen Gilbert said:
“One of the leading women in government, Lynne pushed passionately for the cause of equal marriage against a backdrop of religious condemnation and right-wing revulsion.
“She argued succinctly and with a good deal of common sense that marriage was owned by the people, not by the church, and that equal marriage was the right and fair thing to do no matter what the naysayers might say”.
Meanwhile, Charlie Condou, who plays Marcus Dent in Coronation Street, was named Attitude’s “Man of the Year”.
Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was given a lifetime achievement award and a special award went to Radio 1’s new breakfast show DJ Nick Grimshaw.
