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  • John Leech shortlisted for ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award for “pushing the envelope as far as possible for the LGBTQ+ community”

    The Liberal Democrats are delighted to announce, alongside the LGIU, that John Leech has been shortlisted for their Lifetime Achievement in public service for his dedication to the LGBT+ community.

    John Leech, who has dedicated nearly three decades of his life to public service, has been shortlisted for the Lifetime Achievement award from more than 200 nominations.

    Whilst working at McDonald’s as a student, John Leech began getting involved in local campaigns and social good projects. In 1998, he was elected to Manchester City Council and has continuously served its people since, securing historic victories for equal rights.

    He spent 10 years as Member of Parliament for Manchester Withington from 2005–2015 and immediately returned to Manchester City Council in 2016.

    His work has reached every corner of the UK, and beyond and is certainly no stranger to the LGBT+ community.

    He is probably best known as the “architect” of Alan Turing’s Pardon and ‘Turing’s Law’ which used Turing’s pardon as a precedent to grant a posthumous pardon to more than 75,000 people historically criminally convicted of ‘Gross Indecency’ for being gay.

    But his expansive record of standing up for LGBT+ people goes much further, and has solidified him a powerful leader in the community and a strong voice for those so often suppressed.

    He led the campaign and designed the bill to criminalise homophobic chanting at football matches, played a key role in the construction of historic bill to introduce same-sex marriage, launched a localised campaign to tackle the rise of homophobic and transphobic bullying in high schools and unequivocally backed the end of the gay blood ban.

    During the COVID-19 crisis, he continued his fight for a more just society, most recently pressuring the Big Five Tech Giants to step in and save Bletchley Park, where much of Turing’s work was carried out.

    Embed from Getty Images


    “John just can’t let inequality go unchallenged”

    Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said, “For nearly three decades, John Leech has been an incredible, relentless and fierce public servant, and I am so proud that his tireless work has been recognised.

    “John has never been one to shout about his achievements, and I’m sure there’s a part of him that will hate this attention, but he has been a transformational voice for the LGBT+ community in both Parliament and Council, and that deserves recognition.

    “John just can’t let inequality go unchallenged and his commitment to pushing the envelope as far as possible is inspirational. Thanks to him, more than 75,000 men and women including WWII hero Alan Turing who, as recently as 2013, still held criminal convictions for being gay had their records wiped clean and received a formal apology. 

    “Congratulations to you, John, on celebrating an unparalleled lifetime in public service. Your extraordinary dedication to fighting for a fairer society is exactly what the Liberal Democrats stand for, and I know that your fierce passion isn’t going anywhere any time soon.”

    Councillor Richard Kilpatrick, John Leech’s colleague on Manchester Council, said, “I’m not in the least bit surprised to see John recognised so highly. I have worked with him for six years now, and he’s never stopped fighting to make this country fairer––not once.

    “He is always the first one in the office and the last out. Every second of his day is spent fighting for other people, often to his own detriment. 

    “People’s lives are unequivocally better because of the work he does and the never-ending passion he brings, and I’m so proud to serve alongside him.

    “Congratulations, John!”

    Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) said, “The Covid-19 pandemic has presented this country with a set of challenges that few could have predicted. However, councillors up and down the country have risen to these challenges and stepped up to plate for their communities.

    “From delivering food parcels to vulnerable residents and sourcing PPE for frontline workers to finding temporary accommodation for the homeless, local government has kept the country safe and moving. 

    “It is for this reason that we are particularly proud to unveil the shortlist for this year’s Cllr Awards. Their achievements showcase the best of local government at a time when the country faces one of the greatest hardships of our lifetime.

    “We would like to congratulate all of those councillors shortlisted and look forward to revealing the winners on the 26th of November.”

  • President Trump ‘erases LGBTQ history’ by claiming Americans “won two world wars”

    President Trump ‘erases LGBTQ history’ by claiming Americans “won two world wars”

    A former Liberal Democrat MP has criticised President Trump after he claimed that the American’s “won two world wars” completely erasing the involvement of Alan Turing‘s code-breaking invention, widely thought to bring down the Nazi war machine, helping to bring WWII to an end four year early and saving over 14 million lives.

    John Leech, blasted Donald Trump after the official White House twitter account tweeted a portion of a quote which said, “Americans harnessed electricity, split the atom, and gave the world the telephone and the internet. We settled the Wild West, won two World Wars, landed American Astronauts on the Moon—and one day soon, we will plant our flag on Mars!”

    Leech replied,

    “If anyone could claim to have “won” a World War, it would be a Manchester hero who cut WWII by 4 years and saved 14 million lives with his invention, before being pushed to take his own life. His name is Alan Turing.

    “Don’t erase LGBTQ history.

    “And don’t claim it as your own”

    Unsung war hero

    Alan Turing was a British pioneering computer scientist, mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and mathematical biologist.

    During the Second World War, Turing worked for the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park, Britain’s code-breaking centre. For a time he led Hut 8, the section responsible for German naval cryptanalysis and created the Turing Machine which decrypted the “unbreakable” German Enigma code.

    Turing’s pivotal role in cracking intercepted coded messages enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial engagements, including the Battle of the Atlantic. It is said by some historians that Turing’s work at Bletchley Park shortened the war by two to four years and saved approximately fourteen million to twelve million lives.

    Nevertheless, Turing led a sheltered and castigated life due to his homosexuality. Whilst he was briefly engaged to fellow Bletchley Park worker Joan Clarke, it was a purely platonic relationship and they soon divorced. Turing was prosecuted by the police in 1952 for homosexual acts, when such behaviour was still criminalised in the UK.

    He accepted treatment with oestrogen injections (chemical castration) as an alternative to prison and became incredibly depressed. He committed suicide in 1954. Turing’s wartime heroics were not celebrated until he received an official pardon from Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2009 following an internet campaign, and then a further royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II in 2013.

    In 2019, Alan Turing was honoured in the UK by becoming the face of the £50 note.

  • Politicians demand Manchester Pride answer to “disastrous Fyre Festival” comparison

    Politicians demand Manchester Pride answer to “disastrous Fyre Festival” comparison

    The Liberal Democrats have demanded an Equalities Scrutiny summoning for Manchester Pride organisers amidst comparisons to the disastrous Fyre Festival.

    Lib Dem leader John Leech wrote to the Chair of Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee outlining a number of serious concerns surrounding the organisation and running of Pride including accusations of racism and lack of disabled access.

    Various attendees at the event which cost upwards of £70 to attend complained of terrible visibility issues for those in wheelchairs and poor crowd management for the headline event, starring Ariana Grande. Many condemned the Pride event – likened this year’s celebrations to the notorious Fyre Festival.

    The Lib Dems have demanded a summoning to investigate the Parade’s security, freedom of the press, disabled access, racism and equality issues.

    To jusitfy their demand, the Lib Dems says that the following allegations must be answered for:

    “Security: A group of individuals were able to hijack the parade, and allowed to take part in the parade, despite not arranging to be involved in advance. There is a real danger that other groups may try to do the same in the future.

    “Freedom of the Press: A photo-journalist was blocked from taking photos of protesters. Pride staff tried to make him leave the vigil, and made complaints made about photos taken from public locations. The journalist was also threatened with having his accreditation withheld in the future.

    “Disabled Access: People were allowed to block the view of disabled visitors to the parade at disabled viewing platforms, and access for disabled visitors was not maintained around the village.

    “Ticket Issues: People with tickets were not being able to gain access to the Mayfield venue, after restrictions on entry after 7 PM were introduced after tickets had been sold. Other ticket holders have complained about not being allowed back in after visiting the toilets near to the entrance.

    “Racism: Complaints of racism from black and Asian visitors who were refused entry into bars, not served in clubs and were followed around by staff”.

    Liberal Democrat Leader John Leech said, “Every year, Manchester proudly welcomes people from all backgrounds from around the world for the biggest and best celebration of equality, where we come together to renew our fight for equal rights.

    “But serious concerns have been raised about this year’s Pride celebrations, including accusations of racism and limited disabled access.

    “As a celebration that should be all-inclusive, we cannot let concerns like this slip and the Council has a responsibility to ensure it is a safe, inclusive and successful event.

    “The Lib Dems have therefore called for the organisers of Pride, including the PR and security teams, be brought in front of the Equalities Scrutiny Committee, along with Council Officers, to get to the bottom of these concerns and ensure they are never repeated.”

  • Transgender woman who documented her transition for TV in the late 70s dies, 64

    A transgender woman who allowed the cameras into her life to document her transition during the late 70s has died.

    Manchester-based Julia Grant was a pioneer in the trans community when she became one of the first transgender women to allow a film crew from the BBC to document her transition in the late 70 through to the 90s. The show was called A Change Of Sex and was watched by more than 20 million people in the UK.

    BBC first broadcast the first instalment of A Change Of Sex in late 1980 which was followed by two new chapters, Julia: The First Year and Julia: My Body, My Choice. A revised version aired in 1994, accompanied by another new chapter, The Untold Story, which updates viewers on Julia’s life of the past 15 years. The final instalment, Julia Gets Her Man, followed in 1999. David Pearson directed the films.

    Julia was subject to another episode which was titled her dead name, which is described as an “inside story” episode and was broadcast in June 1979.

    She passed away at the age of 64.

    For many, Julia was the first trans woman they’d ever seen on television; she went on to completely shape the national trans debate and inspire people with gender dysphoria to come out and seek medical help.

    She owned and operated an LGBT venue in the city of Manchester called, Hollywood Showbar. She passed away in the early hours of Wednesday (2nd January) after a short illness.

    Gay rights campaigner and Manchester Liberal Democrat Leader John Leech responded:

    “I’m really sad to hear the news that Julia Grant has passed away.

    “She was rightfully looked up to by many as a leader in the LGBTQ+ community, in particular here in Manchester, but also across the country.

    “Throughout her life, she took on issues that others couldn’t quite bring themselves to and, in the process, changed the course of thousands of people’s lives.

    “Even as recently as last year, I know she was just as angry as I am about the overdevelopment and destruction of heritage and history in our Gay Village.

    “Whilst this is a sad day, it is also a day to remind ourselves of her immense contributions to society and an even better day to renew our fight for true equality.

    “The fight for Manchester’s Gay Village is not over and I promise the Liberal Democrats in Manchester will do everything we can to protect our city’s LGBTQ+ history in Julia’s memory.

    “All my thoughts are with Julia’s loved ones at this time.”

  • Could Alan Turing be the face for the new £50 note?

    Could Alan Turing be the face for the new £50 note?

    There are calls to make Alan Turing the face of the new £50 to serve as a “painful reminder of what we lost.”

    Alan Turing
    Public Domaain

    The Bank of England has invited members of the public to vote on which figure should appear on the new £50 note.

    Former Manchester MP John Leech led a nearly decade-long campaign to pardon Alan Turing, gaining immense public support from legendary physicists such as Stephen Hawking.

    During the campaign, Mr Leech submitted several bills to Parliament saying it was “utterly disgusting and ultimately just embarrassing” that the conviction was upheld as long as it was, and celebrated the posthumous pardon.

    He then turned to acquiring pardons for the 75,000 other men convicted of the same outdated crime.

    At the UK premiere of a film based on Turing’s life, The Imitation Game, the producers thanked Mr Leech for bringing the topic to public attention and securing Turing’s pardon.

    Supporting Turing for the new £50 note John Leech said, “It is almost impossible to put into words the difference that Alan Turing made to society, but perhaps the most poignant example is that his work is estimated to have shortened the war by four years and saved 21 million lives.

    “And yet way he was treated afterwards remains a national embarrassment and an example of society at its absolute worst.

    “Placing Turing on the £50 note would at least go some way to acknowledging his unprecedented contribution to society and science.

    “But more importantly it will serve as a stark and frankly painful reminder of what we lost in Turing and what we will lose again if we ever allow that kind of hateful ideology to win.”

  • Homophobic bullying doubles in Manchester schools in two years

    There has been a shocking surge in homophobic bullying in Manchester’s secondary schools.

    Homophobic bullying doubles in Manchester schools in two years

    A report released by Liberal Democrat, John Leech shows a shocking increase in homophobic and transphobic bullying in Manchester’s high schools. Nearly 700 incidents were recorded in the last six years. John Leech called the increase “upsetting”.

    The report also highlights that there were just 8 reports of homophobic bullying in 2010/11 to 160 in 2015/16.

    The former Manchester MP of ten years submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) enquiry to every high school in the city and has said it is “depressingly clear” that homophobic and transphobic bullying is here to stay.

    Of the 42 high schools in Manchester, 36 responded to the legal request. Mr Leech also raised concerns at the number of schools who had reported zero incidents in the last five years, saying that schools may be too worried to come forward with the real numbers.

    Of the 25 schools that did respond, a worrying trend showed incidents doubling in the last two years, from 76 in 2012-13 to a staggering 160 in 2015-16.

    Reports of bullying ranged from name-calling to physical assault.

    John Leech, who led the successful campaign to pardon war hero Alan Turing, said: “Bullying of any kind is completely unacceptable but to still have homophobia and transphobia rife in Manchester’s schools is deplorable.

    “I have fought for LGBTQ+ rights my whole life and these numbers are really, really upsetting to see.”

    Leech designed the Bill and led the campaign to pardon Alan Turing, whom he said was a “hero”, and whose conviction for homosexuality he slammed as “utterly disgusting and ultimately just embarrassing”. He went on to secure the pardon for the 50,000+ other men convicted of similar offences and led the campaign to outlaw homophobic chanting at football matches.

    Now Mr Leech has turned his attention to what appears to be a concerning spike and consistent rise in teenage bullying. In 2010-11 there were just 8 reports but continued to rise steadily to 160 in 2015-16.

    The reports highlights the staggering increase in the number of reports of homophobic and transphobic bullying in Manchester’s secondary schools.

    The information for the year 2016-17 only covers until January but there were already 134 incidents making it set to be the worst year yet. In total there were 666 reported incidents of homophobic and transphobic bullying in Manchester’s high schools from 2010-17.

    But that doesn’t cover the full story. 17 schools either refused to answer the FOI Request or reported zero incidents – something Mr Leech raises significant doubt over: “Whilst this is concerning, it is much better that schools are transparent with their reports. Schools that came back with 0 reports can only be misleading in what is clearly a worrying trend across the city. We have to be realistic about the issue here and sweeping it under the carpet helps no one.”

    In an emotional speech at the Liberal Democrats conference in Bournemouth the former MP added: “We have absolutely no right to claim we live in a decent society when this kind of behaviour is still rife in our schools.”

    Mr Leech pledged to work with schools, LGBTQ+ groups and local communities to further promote equal rights and said that he would commit himself and his party to “virtually anything” to tackle the growing problem in Manchester’s schools.

  • Alan Turing Law is ‘hugely historic” and “deeply emotional”

    The Alan Turing law has been welcomed by John Leech, the pardon architect and campaign leader.

    More than 75,000 people criminally convicted of homosexuality have today been pardoned under the “Sexual Offences (Pardons Etc.) Bill 2016-17”, known informally as the “Alan Turing Law”.

    The decision has been warmly welcomed by the architect of Alan Turing’s pardon, former Liberal Democrat MP John Leech, who said,

    “For years I have campaigned and fought for this moment.

    “This is a hugely historic, proud and deeply emotional day, but it is certainly not before time.”

    Mr Leech submitted several motions to parliament and campaigned hard to secure Alan Turing’s historic pardon, stating that it was “utterly disgusting and ultimately just embarrassing” that the conviction was upheld as long as it was.

    He added today,

    “I hope this will provide relief to all those that suffered with this awful and unjust burden for so long.

    “It’s an enormous step forward for LGBTQ+ history.”

    Alan Turing was a pioneering English computer scientist and mathematician whose groundbreaking work is thought to have brought WWII to an end four years early.

    However, at a trial in 1952, Turing admitted to “acts of gross indecency” before being sentenced to chemical castration. His conviction meant he lost his security clearance and was forced to stop work at Bletchley Park.

    Aged just 41, he was found dead from cyanide poisoning in 1954 with a half-eaten apple by his side. An inquiry concluded that it was suicide.

    In 2013, Alan Turing was given a posthumous royal pardon and an official apology by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, following a high profile campaign led by the former Manchester MP John Leech.

    Today, it is under Alan Turing’s name and legacy that the injustice of so many is finally brought to an end.

    Following the success of his campaign, Mr Leech turned to securing the pardon for the 75,895 other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who were unfairly convicted for similar offences.

    It was in Manchester, in 1952, that Turing was arrested for having sex with another man, whilst much of his ground-breaking scientific work was conducted at the University of Manchester. Today, mathematics students at the university attend lectures in the building proudly bearing his name.

    Mr Leech added,

    “I believe Alan Turing would be truly overwhelmed to see tens of thousands of people rightfully vindicated in honour of his name.”

    It is predicted that Turing’s work saved the lives of an estimated 14 to 21 million.

    Mr Leech said Turing’s persecution “by the state for being gay was a scandal that shouldn’t have ever been allowed to stand”.

    The first motion Mr Leech submitted called for a recognition of the “vital contribution made by Alan Turing to Britain’s war effort” and “regrets that following his years of national service he received a criminal conviction for having a sexual relationship with another man”.

    It added that there were 75,895 other gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who were unfairly convicted for similar offences and called on the Government to ensure that they too received pardons.

    The former Liberal Democrat MP of ten years, John Leech, wrote to the SNP MP John Nicolson, who sponsored the Sexual Offences bill, to thank him for “seeing the campaign through to its very end”, adding that it was a “deeply emotional day for him and his team” who have fought for this moment for years.

  • 28 crimes against gay men in Manchester were related to Grindr

    28 crimes against gay men in Manchester were related to Grindr

    A shocking freedom of information request has revealed that 28 crimes against gay and bisexual men in Manchester were related to the dating app, Grindr.

    Grindr has been heavily criticised after a freedom of information request revealed that 28 crimes reported by gay and bisexual men in Manchester were related to the gay dating app. These crimes took place between 2013 and 2016.

    Fourteen of those crimes resulted in rape or sexual offences against the victim. Theft, non-sexual violence and drug trafficking were also reported.

    The news comes after a series of high-profile murders in 2016 including,

    The serial killer Stephen Port, who used Grindr and other gay dating apps to lure his victims, all young men under the age of 25, to his home before drugging and killing them.

    Stefano Brizzi also used Grindr to find his victim Gordon Semple.

    In November a teenager, Ben Bamford in Sussex, was found guilty of murdering a man he found on the dating app.

    John Leech, who will now lead a campaign to get dating apps to display safety notices. Speaking about Grindr and Tinder he said, 

    “It is completely unacceptable that neither of the two leading dating apps display safety alerts or notices at any point from download to real life use, not even anything as simple as meeting somewhere public and letting a friend know where you’re going.

    “Something as serious as rape has an enormous and life-shattering impact on so many lives, from the victim to their friends, family and co-workers.

    “Tinder and Grindr should not be let off the hook over such a serious and shocking lapse in care to their users.

    “They must introduce safety alerts immediately and dramatically increase the safety of users, and they must do it now.” 

    Grindr does have a full set of tips on how to keep safe whilst using the app.

  • Lib Dems go to war on dating apps like Grindr

    John Leech, the former MP for Manchester Withington, has declared war on Tinder and Grindr, accusing the companies of a “serious and shocking lapse in care.”

    CREDIT: ©-Vadymvdrobot-Depositphotos

    The prominent Liberal Democrat has launched a campaign publicly calling on the dating apps Tinder and Grindr to display safety notices and dramatically increase the safety of users after a spike in related sexual assaults. Mr Leech wrote to the two leading applications after discovering that neither provided any notice of safety before allowing users to speak with complete strangers.

    His demands come after he uncovered that 58 incidents across Greater Manchester, including rape and serious violence, were linked to the two apps.

    John Leech, who will now lead a campaign to get dating apps to display safety notices, stressed his concerns saying:

    “It is completely unacceptable that neither of the two leading dating apps display safety alerts or notices at any point from download to real life use, not even anything as simple as meeting somewhere public and letting a friend know where you’re going.

    “Something as serious as rape has an enormous and life-shattering impact on so many lives, from the victim to their friends, family and co-workers. One is too many, but 17 in Greater Manchester is just unacceptable and these dating apps need to start taking preventative steps immediately.

    “Tinder and Grindr should not be let off the hook over such a serious and shocking lapse in care to their users.

    “They must introduce safety alerts immediately and dramatically increase the safety of users, and they must do it now.” 

    John Leech’s heavy words come as a Freedom of Information enquiry made by the former MP revealed that more than 58 crimes across Greater Manchester have been linked to the use of dating apps Tinder and Grindr, including rape and serious violence. 

    Of the 28 incidents related to Grindr, four resulted in rape, with a further ten other sexual offences. Theft, non-sexual violence and drug trafficking were also reported.

    A much higher number of 13 out of the 30 reported Tinder incidents resulted in rape, with other violent offences making up a further 15.

    John Leech, who now stands as the sole opposition on Manchester Council, added,

     “I am extremely concerned to see that Manchester has one of the highest numbers of incidents, and in what I would desperately like to be seen as a safe and welcoming city, these numbers are distressingly high and must be tackled immediately.

    “I fear that these worrying incidents are just the beginning of a much wider issue surrounding a serious lack of sexual and relationship education that must also be confronted.

    “In an evolving and increasingly digital age where many people have found their perfect match through these dating apps, the real dangers of online dating must also be highlighted to ensure that these horrific and life-shattering crimes are avoided.”

    Across the country, officers reported at least 162 sexual offences, including 63 rapes, linked to the two apps, which are used by more than 60 million people.

    Tinder launched as a smartphone app in 2012 and Grindr, used largely by gay and bisexual men, in 2009.

    Jane Brophy, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of Greater Manchester, said,

     “These numbers are a serious cause for concern, and as more and more people use these apps we must get better at tackling the safety of users.”

    Committing to tackling the concerning rise, Jane Brophy added,

     “Seeing an increase in sexual, health and relationship education, and a decrease in these assaults will be part of my plan to step forward for Greater Manchester.”