Big rise in homophobic hate crime in Lambeth

It has been a busy Easter for me. Down to Brighton on Saturday to assist in the campaign to get Caroline Lucas elected where we were lucky with the weather but I found leafleting on the steep Brighton hills hard going. Good atmosphere there and a delicious lunch served up by our hosts for the day. Things are looking good and I even got a local pub there to display posters and distribute leaflets.

Then today leafleting in Lambeth and finalising nomination signatures for myself and my two fellow candidates in Prince's Ward in Vauxhall, where I stood in the by election last June. Meeting the election agent tomorrow to finalise things. The starting gun for the general election is due to be fired tomorrow and then it is all the way to the finishing post on May 6th.

My colleague and parliamentary candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood, Shane Collins, has alerted me to a meeting of the Lambeth Community Police Consultative Group for Lambeth on April 13th in Waterloo where PC Eren Bessim, Lambeth Police Diversity and Hate Crime Coordinator (whose role includes looking after matters concerning LGBT, Disability, Race and Religion) will be speaking. I have made hate crime against both LGBT and disabled people (which has been in the news a lot recently) a central aspect of my election campaign. And I am shocked to see from the figures presented to the CPCG that homophobic hate crime has increased by 47% within the last year in Lambeth. It is noticeable that the figure has fallen since January but that is a massive increase. It bears out reports from Manchester and across London and other cities that homophobic hate crime has been increasing. This has not been helped by the rise of the BNP, and it is noticeable that wherever they are elected, homophobic, disabled and race hate crime increases. But the comments of Chris Grayling and the push to cosy up to faith groups at the expense of the LGBT community have not helped either.

As Peter Tatchell commented: "The Conservatives don't agree with B&B's refusing accommodation to black or Jewish couples. If race discrimination is wrong, why is Chris Grayling saying that homophobic discrimination is right?

"According to the law, no one providing services to the public, such as B&B accommodation, has a right to discriminate. Chris Grayling is a leading Conservative and he opposes this legislation.

"Many gay people fear that if the Conservatives win the general election they might amend equality legislation to allow some forms of homophobic discrimination and permit further opt-outs by religious organisations and individuals,"

With Vauxhall being one of the centres for the LGBT population in London (London's second gay village) it is deeply concerning that these figures for hate crime have risen so sharply and I will be asking the police for some answers.