Nancy Dell’Olio lends support to gay Deputy Labour Leader candidate

Ben Bradshaw has received some unlikely support in his campaign for the Labour Deputy Leadership, from lawyer and socialite Nancy Dell’Olio. The pair – who have been friends for years, and apparently bonded over a love of dancing – hosted a campaign event in Southwark, London last night for Labour supporters.

In a speech to his assembled guests, Bradshaw seemed to address some of the wider arguments within Labour at the moment, and within the leadership contest in particular.

“We are all in the middle of a very important leadership and deputy leadership campaign. We face a choice as a party: whether we elect a leadership which can be an alternative government in five years time, or whether we elect a leadership which leads us to being a protest party,” he said.

“In my book, I’m in politics because I want to be able to change things, and I want to be able to put our values into practise. I don’t want to luxuriate in the feeling of ideological purity and forget about those people who need a Labour government.”

He described how he had met Nancy at a party conference, “in the good old days when we were actually in government”, and that they have remained friends ever since. “Nancy is also a great supporter of the Terrence Higgins Trust, which I’m a trustee of,” he explained, “and helps us raise lots of money for a great cause, and Nancy has always been a great supporter of LGBT causes as well.”

Bradshaw laughed as he recalled a visit David Cameron made to his constituency during the 2010 election, which was somewhat overtaken by the vision of Nancy knocking on doors for him. “Nancy came down to help me campaign in Exeter that day, and achieved the remarkable feat of managing to completely wipe Cameron off the front page of my local newspaper!”

He also had a few words to say to those in the party who sneered at his new endorser. “It may surprise you to know that I got a couple of replies to my invitation tonight that I would put on the miserabilist wing of the party,” adding, “Politics is a serious business, but if we can’t have fun, we may as well go home and pack up.”

Nancy herself also spoke, saying it was “a privilege” to know and support Ben. “Coming from Italy as an outsider, I came to this country when you had a fantastic Labour party, because you had a fantastic leader at the time, who won three elections. He could see the modern vision, and he did what Cameron is doing, staying in the centre and taking votes from the left and the right, that was my Labour party. And I think with Ben we can go back there.” She expressed her disappointment that Bradshaw wasn’t running for the main leadership, but he quickly set her straight. “I’ve never wanted to be leader,” he affirmed, “in fact part of my pitch – as opposed to some of the other deputy leadership candidates – is I don’t want to be leader.”

Following a career in journalism, Bradshaw was one of the first out gay MPs when he was elected in 1997, taking a Conservative seat in Exeter. He also became the first member of the cabinet to enter a civil partnership in 2006. Bradshaw is one of five candidates running for the Labour Deputy Leadership, aiming to take over from Harriet Harman, and it is the highest office a gay person has run for. He is joined in the race by Tom Watson, Caroline Flint, Stella Creasy and Angela Eagle – another gay MP.

Labour members, and registered supporters, can vote on both the leadership, and deputy leadership from 14 August, with the results being announced on 21 September.