Jeremy Corbyn under fire over knighthood for MP who opposed gay adoption
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Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is under fire from party activists, over a knighthood for an MP who has consistently opposed LGBT equality.
The New Year’s honours list, unveiled over the weekend, was attacked by Mr Corbyn for rewarding a number of Conservative Party officials and donors.
The Labour leader accused the Tories of “doing their best to undermine those honours by giving their cronies gongs”.
However, Mr Corbyn is now himself facing accusations of cronyism from activists his own party – over a knighthood granted to Labour MP David Crausby after a nomination made on behalf of the party.
Mr Crausby, the MP for Bolton North East, is one of just a handful of Labour MPs to have repeatedly rebelled against the leadership to vote against LGBT equality.
While Labour as a whole has backed LGBT rights, Mr Crausby ignored the leadership of the day to oppose the repeal of Section 28, same-sex adoption, IVF and equal marriage.
Lord Cashman, co-founder of Stonewall and the Labour Party’s former LGBT envoy, protested Mr Corbyn’s decision to sign off on a knighthood for Mr Crausby.
He wrote: “Why Jeremy Corbyn have you given knighthood to Lab MP who voted against repealing Section 28, against gay adoption & against equal marriage?”
Labour councillor Kevin Peel added: “Unacceptable for Jeremy Corbyn to support a knighthood for an MP who doesn’t support me and millions of other LGBT people having equality.
“This sends a very poor message to the LGBT community. We shouldn’t reward discrimination.”
A number of anti-LGBT political figures in other parties also received honours.
Tory MP Julian Brazier, a strong opponent of equality who recently attacked a BBC show about a transgender girl, received a knighthood.
Baroness Williams, a retired Lib Dem peer who tried to derail equal marriage, was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour.
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said Baroness Williams “gives politics a good name”, praising her “unique ability to connect with people from all groups”.
