Reform UK councillors issued guidance on equality impact assessments
Reform UK councillors have been advised by the party to use equality impact assessments despite the party’s pledge to scrap the Equality Act 2010, reports BritPanorama.
An official booklet, distributed at Reform’s annual conference in Birmingham last month and aimed at councillors in charge of adult social care, advocates for equalities to be embedded in understanding how decisions affect local communities.
The guidance indicates that “whenever significant decisions are made, the council should consider how different groups within the community may be affected.”
In February, the party’s equality spokesperson, Suella Braverman, unveiled plans to repeal the act “on day one” if it wins the next election, asserting that Britain is being “ripped apart by diversity, equality, and inclusion” policies.
The document notes that “Reform UK has stated that it would seek to abolish the Equality Act 2010.” It stresses that “regardless of the future legislative framework, the principle of understanding how decisions affect local communities remains fundamental to good governance.”
It further adds that considering equalities issues can help “form the evidence base upon which good decisions are made.”
Labour’s minister for women and equalities, Bridget Phillipson, commented: “Reform chase headlines by pledging to rip up hard-won equality rights, yet they are issuing contradictory guidance to their own councillors.”
She went on to describe them as “desperate hypocrites” and stated, “Even their own councillors can see the dangerous consequences their policies would have and are rejecting them.”
Phillipson highlighted the Labour government’s role in delivering the Equality Act, intended to protect the rights of various groups.
A spokesperson for Reform UK responded, stating, “Reform UK councils take their legal obligations incredibly seriously, particularly when it comes to the provision of social care, which impacts many vulnerable users.”
The spokesperson added that the booklet is guidance on the law as it currently stands but is “perfectly compatible” with the party’s policy. They noted that while Reform UK seeks to reform the Equality Act 2010 and end enforced discrimination, new legislation would maintain many workplace protections and guarantee the rights of individuals.
The Equality Act, which replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single act, legally protects individuals with protected characteristics from discrimination. This includes gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, and other attributes.
An Equality Impact Assessment serves as a tool to evaluate how a policy might affect individuals differently based on these protected characteristics.
Reform has stated that it would introduce a new “Workplace Fairness Act,” which aims to “restore fairness, protect women, and rebuild public trust in the law by treating people as individuals rather than separating them into competing groups.” However, specific details on what protections this legislation would entail remain unprovided.
Earlier this year, analysis indicated that half a million pregnant women could lose workplace protections annually under plans to scrap the Equality Act.
