The city council has crashed out of a list of the nation’s top 100 gay-friendly workplaces.

Last year Brighton and Hove City Council was placed 15th on the Stonewall Top Employers Survey and was the highest ranking local authority.

But this year it has plunged 90 places to number 105, behind three other councils.


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The list is based on the result of Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2014, which includes the results of a confidential questionnaire of 9,700 lesbian, gay and bisexual staff.

But council leaders in the city slammed the survey as unrepresentative of the work it does to make sure lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) staff are supported.

Penny Thompson MBE, the Brighton and Hove chief executive, said the council’s own research showed LGBT employees speak highly of it as an employer.

She said: “I am incredibly proud of the achievements of Brighton and Hove City Council as an employer which positively impacts on all LGBT staff.

“I am leading from the top as a gay woman and our equality champion is part of the executive leadership team.”

Leader of the council Jason Kitcat said: “The Stonewall Index is not reflective of the huge amount of work that goes on in the council and the community.”

Roy Pickard, chair of the Brighton and Hove City Council LGBT forum, said: “The forum will be working over the next year to understand the feedback from Stonewall and to contribute to an action plan improve its Stonewall rating in the future.”

American Express, the city’s largest employer, was placed 90th on the list and Sussex Police was placed 91st.