The regions of England and Wales with the highest proportion of LGB+ residents are represented in parliament almost exclusively by Labor MPs, new census figures show.
Only three of the top 50 constituencies with the highest proportion of people who identify as gay or lesbian, bisexual or other sexual orientation (LGB+) are represented by a Conservative: the Cities of London and Westminster (in 27th place with 6.8%) . Lincoln (35th, 5.9%) and Bournemouth West (43rd, 5.5%).
By contrast, 42 of the 50 are Labor-held seats, including eight of the top 10 and two of the top three: Brighton Kemptown (in second place on 10.3%) and Vauxhall (third place, 10.0% ).
The figures have been compiled by the PA news agency using data for England and Wales from the 2021 census, which was the first of its kind to ask people to record their sexual orientation.
The constituency with the highest proportion of LGB+ residents is Brighton Pavilion, with 11.9%, represented since 2010 by the only Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas.
The rest of the top 50 is made up of three seats held by independents – all former Labor MPs – and one Lib Dem.
Many constituencies at the top of the table are based in large cities or areas with large student populations, such as Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff and Bristol, while 23 of the top 50 are in London.
The findings echo previous census analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which showed that local authorities with a relatively high proportion of 16 to 24-year-olds identifying as LGB+ tended to have one or more universities.
The lower end of the table is more dominated by rural and less populated areas, although the bottom 50 includes some London seats currently held by Labour, such as Dagenham & Rainham and Ilford North, as well as the Buckinghamshire seat of Chesham & Amersham. the Lib Dems beat the Conservatives in the 2021 by-election.
There is a random pattern at the top and bottom of the list, with Conservative MPs representing exactly one-fifth (20) of the 100 seats with the highest proportion of LGB+ residents, but four-fifths (80) of the 100 seats with the lowest .
However, although the vast majority of seats towards the bottom of the list are currently held by the Tories, including 39 of the bottom 50, three of the bottom five are held by Labour: Birmingham Hodge Hill, Luton North and Sefton Central .
Rayleigh & Wickford in Essex, a Conservative seat, has the lowest rate of all 573 constituencies in England and Wales, at 1.5%.
Census data for England and Wales is released gradually by the ONS, with constituency-level data released in recent weeks.
The data shows a similar trend for seats with the highest proportion of residents who told the census their gender identity was different from their sex recorded at birth, with Labor seats accounting for 42 of the top 50, including nine of Top 10 and the entire top five.
Birmingham Ladywood tops this list, with 1.64% of residents saying their gender identity is different to that at birth, followed by East Ham and Tottenham (both 1.57%) , followed by Edmonton (1.51%) and Brent Central (1.47%).
These numbers are shown to two decimal places because the differences between the percentages are very small.
Around 46 of the bottom 50 seats are held by the Tories, with the lowest figure for the Derbyshire Dales (0.19%) followed by Raleigh and Wickford and South West Devon (both 0.21%).
Cities and areas with large student populations once again dominate constituencies towards the top of the list, although only one seat appears in both the LGB+ and gender top 10: Bermondsey & Old Southwark in south London, held by the independent (former Labor) MP Neil Coyle. .
Every political party should consider how our community and loved ones will view party commitments to an LGBTQ+ inclusive society at the ballot box.
Robbie de Santos, Stonewall
Responding to the findings, Robbie de Santos, director of communications at LGBT charity Stonewall, said: “The 2021 census showed what many of us already knew: LGBTQ+ people live in every part of England and Wales. We are part of every community and always have been.
“The census also showed that the percentage of people who are willing to identify as LGBTQ+ is increasing among younger generations, who tend to live in more urban areas.
“However, LGBTQ+ people live in every constituency and there are far more people who love and care about us across the country. Every political party and parliamentary candidate should consider how our community and loved ones will consider the parties’ commitments to an LGBTQ+ inclusive society at the ballot box.”
The census took place in England and Wales on 21 March 2021 and for the first time included a question about sexual orientation, which was voluntary and only addressed to people aged 16 and over.
Respondents could choose between straight or heterosexual. gay or lesbian? bisexual; and “other sexual orientation,” which also invited people to write in the orientation they identified with.
About 44.9 million people (92.5% of the population aged 16 and over) answered the question.