Britain’s first gay marriages took place over weekend.

Fantastic. But I do hope that all those happy couples who tied the knot this weekend remember how vital Tom Robinson was to that happiness. He’s always been a hero of mine. As a musician, broadcaster but most of all, as a courageous campaigner for gay rights. In 1978, Britain was not as tolerant of homosexuality as it is today. I’ve seen proper full-on fights start just because one bloke called another bloke a “poof”. Even the nice, liberal BBC banned this song but still Tom Robinson bravely persisted in singing it. You can tell everything about how a country treats its people by how it treats its gay people – just look at Russia or Iran. But in this country, Tom’s constant courage and commitment helped to ensure that gay people are now treated more fairly. I cannot truthfully sing that I’m “Glad to be Gay” because I’m not gay. But shouldn’t we all be glad that Tom Robinson was?