Ivan Massow: London mayoral hopeful and gay rights activist announces he's expecting a baby with lesbian couple

Ivan Massow, the gay rights activist seeking the Conservative nomination to succeed Boris Johnson as Mayor of London, has announced that he is expecting a baby.

The openly gay businessman aims to father the child with a lesbian couple he met through an online co-parenting site.

“I’m really excited,” he told the Daily Mail.

“It’s strange knowing you are going to become a father. It gives me a sense of peace. It completely changes your relationship with the world.

“I’ve wanted to do this for such a long time I thought if I don’t do it now I’ll probably be too old.

“I know the situation is odd. But I thought ‘go for it’.”

He decided to go “down the internet route” in order to steer clear of unstable “mock relationships” with friends.

“I wanted to start with a matter-of-fact agreement and build a rock-solid friendship,” he said. “And this way the child has two mothers.”

“The baby will move between two households,” he told the Sunday Times in a separate interview. “They [the other parents] are a couple. I am fortunate in that I do have space to accommodate them as well, so that can happen.”

Massow’s first born is due in August – nine months ahead of the mayoral elections, which are set to take place on 5 May 2016.