Manchester City Council has been named as the top council in the country for lesbian and gay staff by pressure group, Stonewall. The local authority came sixth in a list of the 100 top employers, and scored 92% in a survey which measured equality in the workplace. Nineteen other councils also appeared in the top 100, including Brighton and Hove City Council, Cambridge City Council and East Sussex CC. The crime-reduction charity, Nacro, topped the list. The Improvement and Development Agency's (IDeA) national adviser on equality and diversity, Angela Mason, said local government did ‘quite well' in the survey. ‘Out of the 15 different sectors, local government comes fifth, which is encouraging,' she said. ‘The picture is of steady progress being made by local authorities in this area, and more than in other sectors.' This is the third year running that Manchester City Council has topped the local authority section. ‘We work hard at making sure all employees feel comfortable, secure and confident at work, knowing that they are supported and can fulfil their potential, regardless of sexual orientation,' said Manchester City Council's deputy leader, Cllr Val Stevens.
