Liverpool Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Carl Cashman is the cover star of the July 2026 edition of Attitude magazine, the UK's largest LGBTQ publication. The 34-year-old councillor features in the Pride issue, which launches on July 3, discussing masculinity and his concerns about young men being drawn towards far-right politics.
Concerns Over Far-Right Radicalisation
In the cover interview, Cllr Cashman revealed he is collaborating with centre-right think tank Bright Blue on a “manifesto for positive masculinity.” He said: “We live in a world now where people are very isolated, particularly young men, and when they get isolated, they’ve got one place to go, which is online. Then, you know, they see the world through the prism of this manosphere.”
The politician, who hopes to lead Liverpool City Council next year, plans to engage directly with men in sports clubs, boxing gyms and youth clubs. He added: “I want to understand why they are being drawn into the far right.” He cited Louis Theroux’s documentary on the manosphere as particularly troubling, saying: “[It] really worried me. Young men have got this attitude towards women that even I didn’t see when I was in school.”
Defending Positive Masculinity
While acknowledging concerns about misogyny, Cllr Cashman criticised the tendency to dismiss masculinity altogether. He said: “There’s massive amounts of positive masculinity that is hugely important to society. The thing that really pisses me off about woke culture – even though people would describe me as woke myself – is the broad categorisation of masculinity as toxic. It pushes those young men more into that space because it’s telling them, ‘Oh, you’ve got masculine traits – that’s inherently toxic,’ when actually masculinity is very healthy, in the same way femininity is healthy.”
Reflections on Growing Up Under Section 28
The Church ward member also spoke about his experiences growing up under Section 28, the law that banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools. He said: “Nobody was out. There was still that kind of standoffishness to openly being gay.” He noted that two women he previously dated have since come out as lesbians, remarking: “The weirdest thing about that is two of them are girls that I was with at one point.”
Media Attention and Recognition
This is not the first time Cllr Cashman has attracted media attention. He was previously featured on a blog called Fit Councillors and has been dubbed “Britain’s sexiest politician.” He came into post as Liverpool Liberal Democrat leader in 2023, having previously held the same role in Knowsley.
