Lloyd Russell-Moyle

Lloyd Russell-Moyle (born 14 September 1986) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Kemptown from 2017 to 2024. A member of the Labour and Co-operative Party, he was a member of Brighton and Hove City Council from 2016 to 2017.

He is a national executive member of the Socialist Educational Association, the education affiliate to the Labour Party (UK), being re-elected in September 2024.

Early life and education

Lloyd Cameron Russell-Moyle was born on 14 September 1986 in Brighton, England. He was educated at Wallands Primary School, Priory School, Lewes, and Sussex Downs College. He studied at the University of Bradford and the University of Sussex.

Russell-Moyle worked at the National Youth Agency, chairing The Woodcraft Folk and as vice-president of the European Youth Forum based in Brussels.

Political career

Russell-Moyle unsuccessfully stood at the 2015 general election in Lewes, coming fourth with 9.9% of the vote behind the winning Conservative candidate Maria Caulfield, the incumbent Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, and the UKIP candidate Ray Finch.

He was elected and served as a councillor on Brighton and Hove City Council in August 2016. Following his election to Parliament, Russell-Moyle resigned from the Council in December 2017.

On 29 May 2024, he was suspended from the Labour Party in relation to a complaint about his behaviour eight years prior, before he was an MP. Because there was insufficient time for the investigation of the complaint to be resolved before the candidacy deadline for the 2024 general election, he became ineligible to stand as the Labour Party candidate for Brighton Kemptown. He described the complaint as "vexatious and politically motivated" and expressed a belief that he would be fully exonerated. In January 2025 it was announced, the investigation had concluded the month before and found "insufficient evidence to proceed", with the complainant then withdrawing the allegation and his full membership restored.

2017 parliament

At the snap 2017 general election, Russell-Moyle was elected to Parliament as MP for Brighton Kemptown, winning with 58.3% of the vote and a majority of 9,868.

In May 2018 Russell-Moyle as the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs launched an inquiry into "the Role and Sufficiency of Youth Work". In the recommendations published in October 2018 he highlighted the relevance and importance of the inquiry stating, "Over the years youth work has borne the brunt of significant spending cuts. Recent events and reports suggest the loss of youth work has had a negative impact on young people and communities".

On 10 December 2018, Russell-Moyle was suspended from the House of Commons for the remainder of the day's sitting after he seized the ceremonial mace in protest at the government's eleventh-hour deferral of the vote on the EU Withdrawal Agreement, which had been scheduled for the following day.

On 5 March 2019, Russell-Moyle joined thirteen other Labour MPs on Westminster Bridge, next to the Houses of Parliament, in a protest against Brexit under the banner 'Love Socialism Hate Brexit'. Russell-Moyle was one of a number of MPs to light red flares on the bridge. The use of flares so close to Westminster drew the attention of uniformed police, who arrived by boat to inquire what was taking place.

During Prime Minister's Questions, on 20 March 2019, Russell-Moyle urged Prime Minister Theresa May to "condemn" Andrea Leadsom for the Cabinet Minister's comments on LGBT education. Leadsom had made comments on radio that parents should decide when their children are "exposed" to LGBT education. Leadsom's comments drew anger from many who felt, in Russell-Moyle's words, that "This is Conservative Party dog-whistle politics". Russell-Moyle also criticised the Prime Minister, stating that she had "campaigned to keep Section 28" which prevented the "promotion of homosexuality", which Russell-Moyle said had "led to millions of young people like myself growing in fear of being LGBT".

Russell-Moyle was involved in a physical altercation on 21 March 2019 whilst out showing support for demonstrators leafleting for 'The People's March', a demonstration in support of the People's Vote campaign. Russell-Moyle described how an individual first began arguing with an ITV News crew suggesting that they were part of a "mainstream media conspiracy to stop Brexit". Russell-Moyle then approached the scene and said that he was an MP and that "the majority of isconstituents had voted Remain". He said that this information exacerbated the situation further with the individual describing MPs as "traitors" and lunging at him. The incident took place less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Theresa May gave a speech on Brexit in which she blamed MPs for deliberately delaying her attempt to ensure the UK left the EU by 29 March.

In June 2019, Russell-Moyle was criticised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews for hosting a Stop the War coalition meeting in Parliament to which a representative of the Yemeni Houthi group, Ahmed Alshami, had been invited.Daniel Sugarman. "Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle invites representative of antisemitic group to Parliament" '' Jewish Chronicle'' 24 June 2019, https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/labour-mp-lloyd-russell-moyle-invites-representative-of-antisemitic-group-to-parliament-1.485737 The Board's Vice President stated that "hosting an organisation in the Houses of Parliament whose official slogan includes the phrase 'death to Israel, curse the Jews' is utterly unacceptable. Lloyd Russell-Moyle should immediately disavow his support for this event". Russell-Moyle described Alshami as "part of the delegation to the UN process...I support efforts to bring peace to Yemen, encouraging dialogue with people on all sides, however much I disagree with Mr Alshami". Russell-Moyle made his offer to host the meeting conditional on the non-participation of Alshami.

2019 parliament

At the 2019 general election, Russell-Moyle was re-elected as MP for Brighton Kemptown with a decreased vote share of 51.6% and a decreased majority of 8,061. His speech on the night, which included an undertaking to "fight he Toriesin ... the Parliament ... the courts ... the workplaces ... the streets", aroused comment in the press and on social media. In December 2019, Russell-Moyle sparked controversy when he said he was not a "cunt" in refusing to call for the immediate resignation of Jeremy Corbyn, during an exchange on instant messenger with a former party member, which was leaked to ''The Sun''.

Russell-Moyle was appointed Shadow Foreign Minister in January 2020, holding the brief for the Americas and Caribbean, East Asia and the Pacific and the Overseas Territories. Upon the election of Keir Starmer as party leader, he was appointed as Shadow Minister for Natural Environment and Air Quality.

In April 2020, Russell-Moyle was reported to have shared a link to an unredacted version of a Labour Party dossier into the handling of antisemitism, which contained the names and details of whistle-blowers.

In June 2020, he issued an apology after writing an article for ''Tribune'' in which he accused J. K. Rowling of using her experience of domestic abuse and sexual assault to justify discrimination against transgender people.

On 16 July 2020, Russell-Moyle resigned from his frontbench role, citing a "campaign by the right-wing media" which he believes led to him and his staff receiving targeted abuse.

In January 2023, Russell-Moyle reacted angrily to a speech by Miriam Cates in a debate on the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill., branding her as 'transphobic' and saying she 'should be ashamed'. He later apologised to Dame Rosie Winterton and to Cates for the tone of his response. Rosie Duffield accused Russell-Moyle of crossing the floor at the end of the debate to sit near to Cates Conservative MP Paul Bristow confirmed the report and said he moved closer to Cates in response to Russell-Moyle's behaviour, which he thought was in order to intimidate her. The following week Dame Rosie Winterton confirmed that it was usual for MPs of any party to sit where Russell-Moyle sat saying "any hon. Gentleman or hon. Lady can sit in the end seats".

In December 2023, Russell-Moyle introduced a bill to ban conversion therapy after failed attempts by the government to introduce such a bill. He drafted the bill in public, meeting people from all sides and included key safeguards to protect parents, regulated medical practitioners and free speech but prevented the abusive practice. The bill was blocked from proceeding to committee stage in the commons in March 2024 and it did not proceed further.

In March 2024 Russell-Moyle launched the final of three reports on youth work policy and practice the first of which was drafted with the National Youth Agency and last was drafted with Ben Bradley and the Centre for Young Lives. It called for a national workforce strategy and ministerial leadership.

Select Committees and All Party Parliamentary Groups

Russell-Moyle was Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Youth Affairs. Russell-Moyle was also listed as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kurdistan in Turkey and Syria, which replaced his Chairmanship of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Kurds in Iran; All-Party Parliamentary Group for Rojava (Democratic Federation of Northern Syria) and Vice Chairmanship of Kurds in Turkey in the 2017–2019 Parliament.

Russell-Moyle was listed as Treasurer of All-Party Parliamentary Groups on HIV/AIDS and on Universities and he was listed as Vice Chair or Officer of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on The Baháʼí Faith; Council Housing; Deaths Abroad, Consular Services and Assistance; Housing Market and Housing Delivery; Sixth Form Education and Vaccinations for All.

During the 2017–2019 Parliament Russell-Moyle was a member of following Parliamentary committees:

* Voyeurism (Offences) (No. 2) Bill
* Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Bill
* Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill ordsref name="Courts and Tribunals Bill">
* National Insurance Contributions (Termination Awards and Sporting Testimonials) Bill
* Civil Liability Bill ordsref name="Civil Liability Bill">
* Courts and Tribunals (Online Procedure) Bill ordsref name="Courts and Tribunals (Online) Bill">

In the 2019 Parliament Russell-Moyle has been member of the following Parliamentary committees:
* Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee
* International Trade Select Committee
* Committees on Arms Export Controls, formerly Quadripartite Committee

Russell-Moyle is an honorary associate of the National Secular Society.

Personal life

Russell-Moyle is gay. In November 2018, during a House of Commons debate to mark the 30th World AIDS Day, Russell-Moyle revealed he had been diagnosed as HIV positive a decade earlier, saying he wanted to tackle the stigma still associated with the condition and stating: "I have not only survived, I've prospered, and any partner I have is safe and protected", making reference later in his speech to having an undetectable viral load, as well as discussing pre-exposure prophylaxis and public health policy. In disclosing his HIV status in a Parliamentary speech, he became the first MP to do so in the chamber of the House of Commons and only the second person (after Chris Smith) to live openly with HIV as an MP.

Notes

References

External links

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Profile
at LinkedIn

{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell-Moyle, Lloyd
1986 births
21st-century English LGBTQ people
Alumni of the University of Bradford
Alumni of the University of Sussex
English gay politicians
LGBTQ members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Living people
People educated at Priory School, Lewes
People educated at East Sussex College
Politicians from Brighton
Councillors in East Sussex
Labour Party (UK) councillors
Labour Co-operative MPs for English constituencies
UK MPs 2017–2019
UK MPs 2019–2024
People associated with the Woodcraft Folk
People with HIV/AIDS
English socialists
Politicians from Brighton and Hove
Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East
Socialist Campaign Group
Fellows of the Royal Society of Arts