One of the privileges of my adult life has been meeting pioneers of LGBT equality, particularly Waheed Alli, Michael Cashman and Ian McKellen.

My dad is like my one-man focus group: a Sun-reading Essex Tory.

The challenge is to replace our broken higher education system with one that has the potential to transform the lives of individuals and to create opportunity.

On housing, education and skills, health and social care, transport and economic development, local government is better placed to make decisions in the interests of local communities.

On housing, education and skills, health and social care, transport and economic development, local government is better placed to make decisions in the interests of local communities.

When I was at a tough inner-city school, drama gave me a friendship group. It's been so core to who I am and given me such confidence later in life.

In an ideal world, of course, we would still be arguing for free education. If I was starting with a blank sheet of paper, I would have system that was funded by progressive taxation where graduates aren't making that contribution. But we don't live in an ideal world.