The days of the out of reach and out of touch politician are, if not over, then definitely numbered and the country made this very clear in the 2010 General Election.

Instead of voting outright for a party, many, many people chose individuals who they believed shared their aspirations, their ideals, their hopes and their dreams for a better society, to represent them in Parliament.

With this in mind, Gayleeds.com can now present an interview with MP for Pudsey and openly gay, Stuart Andrew.

You are from Anglesey so how did you end up living in and representing Leeds?

I met my partner Robin when I worked for a hospice in Lancashire and after a while we had to make a decision about who was going to move where. I loved the city of Leeds and the fact that, as we lived in Yeadon at the time, we were so close to the Yorkshire Dales too. This area ticked all the boxes for me and now it really feels like home.

  Have you always had a passion for politics and what ignited that?

I have and I spoke about this in the House of Commons the other day. I grew up on a council estate in Anglesey and as a family we had very little money but where we lived had bags of community spirit and that is when I first saw how people working together can achieve so much. I got a passion into helping people where I lived and that started to fuel my interest in politics. I remember when I was in my early teens going to London and visiting Parliament. It was then that I thought to myself “I want to be an MP one day”
 
You are an openly gay conservative MP. A lot of people still refuse to consider voting for the conservatives mainly as a result of section 28. Why do you want to be in a party that has such a bad gay rights record?

I understand that. Section 28 was wrong and should never have happened. That is why I was delighted to hear David Cameron apologise for what our party did. I pleased to say that things have changed massively, a little late I grant you, but better to have changed than not at all. The Party is here to represent everyone, regardless of who you are.

I want to be in the party because it represents my political standpoint. One which says that people should be served by its Government rather than top down edicts from London. One that makes sure we keep our finances in order and not saddle the future generation with debt. And one that encourages people, from wherever they come from, to aspire to achieve whatever they want.

 What would you say to people who still will not vote conservative due to section 28?

I would say that we got that wrong, very wrong. But please believe me, the party has changed. We are campaigning to stop homophobic bullying, especially in schools and ministers are currently looking at proposals to make gay marriage a reality.

In 2010 Chris Grayling, the then shadow Home Secretary, agreed that B&B owners should be allowed to ban gay couples. How did you feel about that?

Not very happy and I think it was insensitive.

 
As a gay MP do you feel as though you have a particular responsibility to advocate for gay rights? If so, do you feel there is a danger of being labelled as 'the gay MP' and not someone who is a representative of everyone?

Interesting question. I do feel I have a duty to do my bit for the gay community and I try and support the Leeds community whenever I can. I feel very proud of the fact that I am the first openly gay MP to represent a West Yorkshire constituency. That is a great leap forward for gay rights in our area.

I’m not concerned about being labelled a gay MP as, a) it doesn’t matter and b) I am so busy doing other things like health and transport issues and helping many constituents with their concerns that I could not be accused of just helping one part of the community.

 
 Have you encountered any homophobia since taking office?

None, thankfully 

 
You left the conservative party for two years and joined labour before returning, why was this?

I first joined the Conservative Party when I was 14 and spent many years campaigning for them and standing as a candidate in several elections. However, I was not happy with the attitude of some in the party in the late 90’s, particularly towards gay issues. How I dealt with it was a huge mistake and an error of judgement. Rather than leaving and joining Labour, I should have stayed in the party and fought to change those attitudes. I realised this in 2000 and rectified my mistake and re-joined the Conservatives. I do all I can to help groups like LGBTory in their work.

 
What are your political ambitions/aspirations?

To serve my constituents and my country to create a fair and aspirational society.

How long have you been with your partner and is it tough on your relationship having such a hectic job?

We have been together for about 10 years now. It is not easy and we are often like passing ships in the night. I spend Monday to Thursday in London and when I am back up here I have a busy schedule. In addition, he has just opened a new shop in Ilkley (Tipling’s – pop along if you have time!) and has a full time job so we are both very busy. We try and make time when we can.

We, at Gayleeds.com, would like to thank Stuart Andrew for taking the time to do this interview and wish him continued success in the future.

Sarah Carmody

editor@gayleeds.com