Letter of support which appeared in the Daily Telegraph on 23 September 2014 following my removal from the FA Inclusion Advisory Board. My thanks go to all those who signed it.
SIR – Having known and worked with Edward Lord, the inclusion adviser dismissed by the Football Association last week, we are surprised by the FA’s statement announcing his departure. Without taking sides in the dispute, we believe the statement describes a character that we simply don’t recognise.
In our experience Mr Lord is a capable, professional, and collegial board member, and an inspiring advocate for equality and social inclusion, whose public service has been recognised at the highest level.
As group chairman of the Amateur Swimming Association – representing England’s largest participation sport – and through his continuing involvement in football, we are certain he will still lead the way in UK sport by speaking out for those who cannot speak up for themselves.
George Dorling
Chairman, London Football Association
Sir Stephen Bubb
Chairman, Social Investment Business
Lord Dholakia OBE PC DL (Lib Dem)
The Rev Canon Mark Oakley
Chancellor, St Paul’s Cathedral
Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn Harris
Principal, Leo Baeck College
Rachel Beadle
Former Chair, The Pride Trust
Cllr Ruth Cadbury (Lab)
Former Deputy Chair, Improvement & Innovation Board, Local Government Association
Lynne Featherstone MP (Lib Dem)
Jim Fitzpatrick MP (Lab)
Cllr Peter Fleming (Con)
Leader, Sevenoaks District Council
Chairman, Improvement & Innovation Board, Local Government Association
Ed Fordham
Chair, LGBT+ Lib Dems
Alderman Tim Hailes JP
Elected Member, City of London Corporation
Claire Harvey
Ambassador, LGBT Sports Charter
Colm Howard-Lloyd
Chairman, LGBTory
Cllr Peter John (Lab)
Leader, London Borough of Southwark
Simon Johnson
Non-Executive Director, Amateur Swimming Association
Dan Large
Former Campaign Director, Freedom to Marry
Mark MacGregor
Former Chief Executive, The Conservative Party
Sir Nick Partridge OBE
Former Chief Executive, The Terrence Higgins Trust
Mayor Jules Pipe CBE (Lab)
Chair, London Councils
Cllr Jill Shortland OBE (Lib Dem)
Former Leader, Somerset County Council
Vice Chair, Improvement & Innovation Board, Local Government Association
Terry Stacy MBE JP
Former Leader, London Borough of Islington
Richard Stephenson
Former President of the National Conservative Convention
Jo Swinson MP (Lib Dem)
Mayor Dorothy Thornhill MBE (Lib Dem)
Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson (Lib Dem)
Vice Chair, Local Government Association
Cllr Jess Webb (Lab)
Former Speaker, London Borough of Hackney
Samuel West
Chair, National Campaign for the Arts
C. E. Lord OBE 