The June issue of Total Politics has a profile of Lynne Featherstone MP in which interviewer Ben Duckworth looks at how Lynne thinks as a minister and how she is regarded.

Here’s a flavour:

On ministerial visits, she will arrive to discover that people have confused her with her Conservative colleague Maria Miller: “I go somewhere and someone thinks I’m the disabilities minister. I’m taking a look at how that can be communicated better.” This does seem to be down to her vague title, as Featherstone admits. “People think, because my nomenclature is minister for equalities, I cover race, discrimination, age or faith. But I don’t really. Steve Webb is pensions minister, Maria Miller is disabilities minister. Most of those equalities issues are work-based. Andrew Stunell does race and religion because much of that is about community cohesion.”

So, how do you define your remit? “I have women, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. I have the Equality Act, so I do touch on all these areas via discrimination law, and I’m the front-line minister who looks over the Equality and Human Rights Commission.” Then there are the Home Office responsibilities, which include criminal information and violence against women. Featherstone is also in charge of taking the Freedom Bill through its committee stage.

…How do you get things done? Her answer is succinct: “Cross-departmental nagging is my strong point.” One minister who has been on the receiving end tells me, with a little resignation, that Featherstone is “incredibly determined” when she has a cause to pursue.

Lynne’s determination is covered from several angles, from her indomitable blogging on local and ministerial issues, to her overturning of a huge Labour majority in her Hornsey and Wood Green seat, to growing “a thicker skin” in the face of hostile media attention.

Lynne is proud that wheel-clamping on private land is set to be banned: “It seems to be the most popular policy decision this government has made, and it was my decision!” Being a minister, however, also has its frustrations:

I’m endlessly frustrated I can’t just [do things] my own way and get what I like.” She adds: “The things that aggravate me are when things are wilfully misused.”

Who misuses things? “The media… or Labour.” She laughs. “When you’re trying to do new things, they’re always open to challenge because people don’t like change. I get annoyed when people don’t understand the purpose and beneficial outcome and put so many obstacles in the way, whether that comes from the media, my side of the coalition or the other side.”

Despite any difficulties, Lynne concludes:

“I love coalition. It’s the most sensible method of government I’ve witnessed in my lifetime.” As with many ministers, she just hopes her work and that of her colleagues is eventually appreciated. “My hope is people recognise, in the longer term, [that] the Lib Dems have made a huge difference to this country.”

You can read the full interview at Total Politics.