Linda Bellos
Encyclopedia
Linda Bellos OBE is an English
ex-politician
and current businesswoman and activist for gay rights.
and joined the merchant navy during the Second World War. Raised in Brixton
, she was educated at Silverthorne Girls’ Secondary Modern School, Dick Shephard Comprehensive School and the University of Sussex. She married in 1970 and gave birth to two children, in 1974 and 1976, and "came out" in 1980. Her marriage ended in divorce in 1983. She is now a grandmother.
On 21 December 2005, she and her partner, Caroline Jones, were among the first couples to sign a Civil partnership in the UK. The ceremony took place among family and friends at Southwark Registry Office. She now lives in a small town near Norwich.
feminist collective in 1981. She criticises the movement's 'point scoring' and and the manner in which the women's movement was, in her view, dominated by 'white, middle-class women She rejects the term ‘mixed race’ because she considers that every attempt to define race is reduced to definitions of skin colour. Bellos is a person of African and Eastern European Jewish heritage. She uses the inclusive political term of ‘black’ to describe herself.
.
In 1985 Bellos was elected as a Labour
councillor to Lambeth London Borough Council
and was leader of the council between 1986 and 1988. She was the second black woman to become leader of a British local authority, after Merle Amory in the northwest London borough of Brent
. Bellos resigned as leader on 21 April 1988 after disputes within the Labour Party
over the setting of the Council budget. She was a prominent figure in left-wing politics in London in the 1980s and was labelled by The Sun
as a member of the 'Loony Left
'. Bellos attempted to become a parliamentary candidate, without success, most notably for Vauxhall
.
Bellos was the treasurer of the Africa Reparations Movement (UK). She was co-chair of the Southwark LGBT Network until February 2007 and an adviser to Southwark Council
. From 2000 to 2003, she was co-chair of the LGBT Advisory Group to the Metropolitan Police. She remains a community activist and is a patron of Broken Rainbow UK, which supports LGBT people experiencing domestic violence.
She has accomplished many firsts in her fight for equality, notably originating Black History Month
in the UK whilst chair of the London Strategic Policy Unit.
Bellos has worked on mainstreaming equality within many public bodies, including the British Army
and the Metropolitan Police Service. She was an Independent Advisor to the Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Association of Chief Police Officers.
She is a founder member and current Chair of The Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners.
She designs online learning courses on equality and human rights, delivered through her company's own learning website.
Volunteer Awards "in recognition of outstanding contribution in supporting the local community."
In 2006, she was awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours for services to diversity. She was reluctant to receive the award, due to the Honour's association with colonialism
, but was encouraged to accept it by her family.
As an author, she has contributed to a number of anthologies, including IC3, the Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain, ISBN 0-14-028733-7.
A character based on Bellos, named "Agnes Moorehouse" the leader of a Loony Left Borough council appeared in Yes, Prime Minister
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
ex-politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and current businesswoman and activist for gay rights.
Personal life
Bellos was born in London to a Jewish mother, Renee Sackman, and a Nigerian father, Emmanuel Adebowale, who came from UzebbaUzebba
Uzebba is a village in the Owan local council of Edo State, Nigeria. Uzebba, along with its neighbouring towns and villages, Uhuse-Osi, Uhuse-Oke in Owan, Etsakor, and Akoko Edo, are known as Afemai. They collectively make up Edo-North Senatorial District....
and joined the merchant navy during the Second World War. Raised in Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, she was educated at Silverthorne Girls’ Secondary Modern School, Dick Shephard Comprehensive School and the University of Sussex. She married in 1970 and gave birth to two children, in 1974 and 1976, and "came out" in 1980. Her marriage ended in divorce in 1983. She is now a grandmother.
On 21 December 2005, she and her partner, Caroline Jones, were among the first couples to sign a Civil partnership in the UK. The ceremony took place among family and friends at Southwark Registry Office. She now lives in a small town near Norwich.
Feminism
Bellos is a revolutionary feminist and was the first mixed-race lesbian to join the Spare RibSpare Rib
Spare Rib was a second-wave feminist magazine in the United Kingdom that emerged out of the counter culture of the late 1960s as a consequence of meetings involving, amongst others, Rosie Boycott and Marsha Rowe.-Description:...
feminist collective in 1981. She criticises the movement's 'point scoring' and and the manner in which the women's movement was, in her view, dominated by 'white, middle-class women She rejects the term ‘mixed race’ because she considers that every attempt to define race is reduced to definitions of skin colour. Bellos is a person of African and Eastern European Jewish heritage. She uses the inclusive political term of ‘black’ to describe herself.
Politics
She was vice-chair of the successful Black Sections campaign to select African Caribbean and Asian parliamentary and local candidates within the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.
In 1985 Bellos was elected as a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillor to Lambeth London Borough Council
Lambeth London Borough Council
Lambeth London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Lambeth in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London...
and was leader of the council between 1986 and 1988. She was the second black woman to become leader of a British local authority, after Merle Amory in the northwest London borough of Brent
London Borough of Brent
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 2,022. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 5,646 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased...
. Bellos resigned as leader on 21 April 1988 after disputes within the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
over the setting of the Council budget. She was a prominent figure in left-wing politics in London in the 1980s and was labelled by The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
as a member of the 'Loony Left
Loony left
The Loony Left was a pejorative label used in the campaign for the United Kingdom general election, 1987, and subsequently, both by the Conservative Party and by British newspapers that supported the Conservative Party. The label was directed at the policies and actions of some Labour Party...
'. Bellos attempted to become a parliamentary candidate, without success, most notably for Vauxhall
Vauxhall (UK Parliament constituency)
-Elections in the 1980s:-Elections in the 1970s:-Elections in the 1960s:-Notes and references:...
.
Bellos was the treasurer of the Africa Reparations Movement (UK). She was co-chair of the Southwark LGBT Network until February 2007 and an adviser to Southwark Council
London Borough of Southwark
The London Borough of Southwark is a London borough in south east London, England. It is directly south of the River Thames and the City of London, and forms part of Inner London.-History:...
. From 2000 to 2003, she was co-chair of the LGBT Advisory Group to the Metropolitan Police. She remains a community activist and is a patron of Broken Rainbow UK, which supports LGBT people experiencing domestic violence.
Equality
As a lesbian feminist, Bellos argued strongly in the early 1980s that an inclusive approach to women’s issues must take account of social class, minority and majority ethnic identity, disability, sexual identity and religion. This approach was unpopular at the time but has since become accepted as equality law and social attitudes have changed. No longer regarded as ‘loony left’, Bellos now teaches employers and their staff to apply the Equality Act 2010, the Human Rights Act 1998 and other equality law.She has accomplished many firsts in her fight for equality, notably originating Black History Month
Black History Month
Black History Month is an observance of the history of the African diaspora in a number of countries outside of Africa. Since 1976, it is observed annually in the United States and Canada in February, while in the United Kingdom it is observed in October...
in the UK whilst chair of the London Strategic Policy Unit.
Bellos has worked on mainstreaming equality within many public bodies, including the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and the Metropolitan Police Service. She was an Independent Advisor to the Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the Association of Chief Police Officers.
She is a founder member and current Chair of The Institute of Equality and Diversity Practitioners.
Consulting
Bellos runs her own consultancy and training company, EDHR Solutions LTD, providing equality, diversity and human rights consultancy and training services to the UK’s commercial, public and not-for-profit sectors.She designs online learning courses on equality and human rights, delivered through her company's own learning website.
Awards
On 9 December 2002, she was presented (together with Stephen Bourne) with the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
Volunteer Awards "in recognition of outstanding contribution in supporting the local community."
In 2006, she was awarded an OBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours for services to diversity. She was reluctant to receive the award, due to the Honour's association with colonialism
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
, but was encouraged to accept it by her family.
Radio, TV, and writing
Bellos is a regular guest on radio and television programmes, contributing to many discussions on equality and human rights topics.As an author, she has contributed to a number of anthologies, including IC3, the Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain, ISBN 0-14-028733-7.
A character based on Bellos, named "Agnes Moorehouse" the leader of a Loony Left Borough council appeared in Yes, Prime Minister
Published online
- Reparations for Africa - 26 October 1995
- Part of core business (pdf) - August 2003
- Letter to CRE on DfES White Paper (pdf) - 3 November 2005
- The term Black and Asian - a Short History - 21 March 2006
External links
- Profile on YouTube
- Profile on SAVO website
- Call for action on diversity BBC News - 4 June 2001 (scroll down to bottom of page)
- Crucial lessons on race and policing BBC News - 3 August 2005
- Report of the 11th NUT Pride in Eductaion Conference (word) 19 November 2005
- Lib Dems let down LGBT community in model 'gay friendly' council Green Party LGBT News, 8 February 2007
- Whatever happened to feminism's extreme sects? The Independent, 12 February 2006
- 'Yes, we were bloody angry', The Guardian - 15 February 2006
- Video clip from Lefties - Angry Wimmin BBC Four, 17 May 2006
- OBE to fighter for equality - The Guardian, 30 December 2006
- Best of Times, Worst of Times: Linda Bellos - interview by Katharine Hibbert, Times Online, 25 February 2007
- Pornography Lefties Video Clips, BBC 4, 11 October 2007
- Fairness, equality and the white working class The Guardian, 19 November 2010