Sophie Cook: Labour candidate could be UK’s first openly transgender MP A former RAF engineer and motorbike racer could become the UK’s first openly transgender MP after being selected to stand […]

A former RAF engineer and motorbike racer could become the UK’s first openly transgender MP after being selected to stand for the Labour party in the General Election.

Sophie Cook, 50, will stand in the constituency of East Worthing and Shoreham, challenging Conservative MP Tim Loughton.

Mr Loughton has held the seat since 1997 and won in the 2015 election with a comfortable majority of 14,949, securing 30 per cent of the vote. The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

Ms Cook now lives in Brighton and works as an official photographer for AFC Bournemouth Premier League football club. Until 1991, she was stationed in West Germany with the RAF during the Cold War. She began transitioning in 1998 but did not come out until 2015.

Ms Cook has also launched her own newspaper in Bournemouth, although it is no longer in circulation, and gives talks promoting LGBT rights across the country. She also has three children.

A proper conversation about mental health

Before transitioning, Ms Cook says she experienced bouts of depression and self-harmed. She hopes to kick-start a dialogue about mental health by standing in the forthcoming contest.

“I think it’s really important that we start a proper honest conversation about mental health,” she told i. “I’ve suffered with my mental health my entire life. It’s important that we start this discussion and that we make mental health as PC to talk about as anything else.”

We need to make it so that everyone has the same opportunities – Sophie Cook

As well as tackling stigma, she hopes to improve LGBT visibility and will prioritise addressing discrimination. “Regardless of their gender, of their sexuality, of their identity, their race, their religion, their disability, or even their wealth – we need to make it so that everyone has the same opportunities and no-one lives in fear.”

Ms Cook is concerned Brexit could lead to a “rolling back of LGBT rights”.

“LGBT rights are human rights and we need to make sure that these things are enshrined within law. It’s very easy for certain parts of the LGBT community to think that the battle is over. There are still members of the LGBT community who are attacked daily on the street, who face abuse and bigotry, and lose their jobs purely because they are LGBT. It’s really important that someone stands up for these people.”

Corbyn is a ‘breath of fresh air’ in politics

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is an “honest, decent man” and a “breath of fresh air” in politics, says Ms Cook.

‘Jeremy Corbyn stood up for LGBT rights when no-one else would’ – Sophie Cook

“We need people who have belief. Politics is about belief and principle and policies and I don’t subscribe to the politics of personality.

“Jeremy Corbyn stood up for LGBT rights when no-one else would. In the days when you got vilified for standing up for these rights, he did it because he knew it was right.”

Ms Cook said she is subject to online abuse “daily”, including death threats, but will not be deterred in her bid for Parliament.

“When I came out I had a choice. Hide or try to stand up and change the world. I’m just trying to make a little dent in the things that I see that are wrong in the world. If that makes me a target, then so be it. I know the majority of people are decent, honest and supportive.”