LONDON: Openly Gay Former Police Chief Brian Paddick Nominated For Mayor

Britain’s Liberal Democrats have nominated former cop Brian Paddick as their choice for mayor of London. Until he left the force, Paddick was the highest-ranked openly gay police officer in Britain.

Tonight, Mr Paddick said: “I hope to visit every local party in London, to meet the activists whose support we rely on year after year and to raise as much money as possible for the campaign ahead. I know from personal experience how tough the GLA [Greater London Assembly] Elections are for us as a party and next year will be no exception. I promise to devote myself full-time between now and May to securing the best possible result for the Liberal Democrats and with your help, we can deliver the best result we have ever had in the history of the GLA elections.”

Paddick finished a distant third in the 2008 mayoral election. Paris, Berlin, and Houston are the biggest cities in the world with openly gay mayors currently in office.