Reform UK’s record-breaking billionaire donation exposes a political funding system that allows private wealth to overwhelm democratic choice. Parliament must act before the next election. A British political party has just secured the largest single donation in our political history. Ben Delo, the cryptocurrency billionaire and co-founder of BitMEX, has announced a further £36 million… Continue reading Politics is not for sale
Tag: Trans
Dolly Parton: Faith, Freedom and a Life of Generosity
I was deeply saddened yesterday to hear of the death of Dolly Parton at the age of 80. Seeing her film 9 to 5 as a child in the 80s was probably the first time I encountered the singer/songwriter and it was also an early influence on my being a feminist and having a distaste… Continue reading Dolly Parton: Faith, Freedom and a Life of Generosity
Jesus, Justice and the radical politics of Love
Having spent much time recently thinking and writing about my politics and also about my faith, I have been considering how the two intersect and how they inform each other. This is especially so as I find that my Christian faith has influenced my move to the left politically, which contrasts sharply with those on… Continue reading Jesus, Justice and the radical politics of Love
Women’s Sport is rising. Now the rest of us must raise our game
It is time to recognise that the threats to women’s sport are invisibility, underinvestment, inequality, abuse, and exclusion from power (and not trans people’s participation). As the City of London’s Lead Member for Sport I spent 24-hours this week at the Global Summit on Women & Sport in Birmingham, which the City was proud to… Continue reading Women’s Sport is rising. Now the rest of us must raise our game
Protecting women’s sport: a line drawn too bluntly – my message to the IOC President
Sport must safeguard participants and ensure equity and fairness, but this must be done based on science and fact and not as a kneejerk reaction to political or cultural pressure. Today I have written to Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, whom I deeply admire and whose election I celebrated just over a… Continue reading Protecting women’s sport: a line drawn too bluntly – my message to the IOC President
Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
There is currently a great deal of noise, heat, and misinformation about what the law requires when it comes to trans inclusion in single-sex services and organisations. Much of it is being driven by a highly organised and aggressive campaign by Sex Matters, which has taken to threatening legal action against a wide range of… Continue reading Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
This morning’s High Court judgment refusing the judicial review application brought by Sex Matters against the City of London Corporation is an important moment for common sense, good governance, and decency. At the same time, the publication of the Corporation’s consultation on future access to the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds tells a powerful and hopeful… Continue reading Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
Permission to Hate revisited: Britain five years on
In December 2019 I warned that Britain was sliding towards a culture that licensed prejudice and exclusion. Five years on, that “permission to hate” has hardened. This is a reflection on what has happened since, how that permission lives on in politics and the media, and what defenders of an open, inclusive society can –… Continue reading Permission to Hate revisited: Britain five years on
Brown Shirts around the corner? Why we must confront Britain’s slide to the Far Right
Yesterday’s scenes in London — tens of thousands rallying behind Tommy Robinson, violent clashes with police, and chants straight from the darkest pages of European history — were not an aberration. They were a symptom of something far more dangerous: a political culture that has normalised far-right populism and is increasingly dancing to its tune.… Continue reading Brown Shirts around the corner? Why we must confront Britain’s slide to the Far Right
In the Image of God: a queer Christian response to the UK Supreme Court ruling on Sex and Gender Identity
This post was written for OneBodyOneFaith and was published on the charity’s website on Monday 26 May 2025 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139.13-14 On April 16, 2025, the UK Supreme Court delivered a… Continue reading In the Image of God: a queer Christian response to the UK Supreme Court ruling on Sex and Gender Identity
