by Areas in England and Wales with the highest proportion of LGB+ residents are almost exclusively represented in Parliament by Labor MPs, new census data show.
Only three of the top 50 constituencies with the largest percentage of people who identify as gay or lesbian, bisexual or of any other sexual orientation (LGB+) are represented by a Conservative: the cities of London and Westminster (ranked 27th with 6.8%); Lincoln (35th, 5.9%) and Bournemouth West (43rd, 5.5%).
By contrast, Labor holds 42 of the 50 seats, including eight of the top 10 and two of the top 3: Brighton Kemptown (in second place with 10.3%) and Vauxhall (third place, 10.0%).
The figures were 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%, which has been represented since 2010 by the only Green MP, Caroline Lucas.
The rest of the top 50 is made up of three seats held by Independents – all former Labor MPs – and one Liberal Democrat.
Many constituencies at the top of the table are in major cities or student-dense areas such as Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff and Bristol, while 23 of the top 50 are in London.
The results are consistent with previous Office for National Statistics (ONS) census analysis, which showed that local governments with a relatively high proportion of people aged 16-24 who identify as LGB+ tend to have one or more universities.
The lower end of the table tends to be dominated by rural and less built-up areas, although the bottom 50 includes some seats in London currently held by Labour, such as Dagenham & Rainham and Ilford North, and the seat of Chesham & Amersham in Buckinghamshire Die Lib Dems won against the Conservatives in a 2021 by-election.
There is a random pattern in the top and bottom sections 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 proportion.
But although the vast majority of seats towards the bottom of the list are currently held by 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 share of any 573 constituencies in England and Wales at 1.5%.
Census data for England and Wales is being released gradually by the ONS, with figures released at constituency level in recent weeks.
The data show a similar trend for the seats with the highest proportion of residents who told the census that their gender identity differed from their sex registered at birth, with Labor seats making up 42 of the top 50, including nine of the top 10 and the whole top 5.
Birmingham Ladywood tops this list with 1.64% of residents saying their gender identity is different than when they were born, followed by East Ham and Tottenham (both 1.57%), then Edmonton (1.51%) and Brent Central (1.47%).
These numbers are shown with two decimal places because the differences between the percentages are so small.
Around 46 of the last 50 seats are held by Tories, with the lowest held by Derbyshire Dales (0.19%), followed by Rayleigh & Wickford and South West Devon (both 0.21%).
Cities and student-rich areas once again dominate constituencies at the top of the list, although only one seat appears in both the LGB+ and gender-specific top 10: South London’s Bermondsey & Old Southwark, held by Independent (former Labor) MP Neil Coyle .
Reacting to the results, Robbie de Santos, communications director at LGBT charity Stonewall, said: “The 2021 census showed what many of us already knew: LGBTQ+ people live in all parts of England and Wales. We are a part of every community and always have been.
“The census also showed that the proportion of people 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 many more people across the country who love and care for us. Every political party and prospective parliamentary candidate should consider how our community and loved ones will reflect the parties’ commitment to an LGBTQ+ 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 on sexual orientation, which was voluntary and was only asked to people aged 16 and over.
Respondents could choose between heterosexual or heterosexual; gay or lesbian; bisexual; and “Other Sexual Orientation,” which also invited people to write in the orientation with which they identified.
Around 44.9 million people (92.5% of the population aged 16 and over) answered the question.
