Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on LGBT+ Rights

The Rt Hon Lord Herbert of South Downs CBE PC

Biography

Lord Herbert of South Downs was appointed the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on LGBT+ Rights in May 2021.

Lord Herbert is Chair of the Global Equality Caucus, an international network of parliamentarians and elected representatives dedicated to tackling discrimination against LGBT+ people. He was a Member of the House of Commons 2005 to 2019 and was Chair of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global LGBT Rights 2015 to 2019.

He served as Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice from May 2010 to September 2012. This was a joint role in the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice. He was elected Conservative MP for Arundel and South Downs on 5 May 2005.

Lord Herbert was Shadow Minister for Police Reform from 2005 to 2007, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice between 2007 and 2009 and Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2009 to 2010.

From 1990 to 1996, he worked for the British Field Sports Society, initially as its Director of Political Affairs and later as Chief Executive of Business for Sterling from 1998 to 2000. Before becoming an MP, he was the Director of Reform, an independent think tank that he co-founded in 2002.

Nick was educated at Haileybury and Magdalene College, Cambridge where he studied law and land economy.

Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on LGBT+ Rights

The Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on LGBT+ Rights leads efforts to champion LGBT+ equality in the UK and abroad.

The Special Envoy will bring together the government’s domestic work and our global leadership on LGBT+ rights, focusing on:

  • legislative reform
  • tackling violence and discrimination
  • ensuring equal access to public services for LGBT+ people

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Previous roles in government