The ConDems are 'consulting' on scrapping the equalities act

[AliceWorld]

here

The backlash continues...

Link to article here

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

what the...?

Did you hear about that just on the f word? or in the press?

[AliceWorld]

All over the fem lists. Not heard it in the mainstream. But anything I've seen is only from yesterday at the earliest so might get picked up yet.

[turkeyboots]

This is being done across all national legislation, everything from bin collection rules to equalities. Not sure what it is supposed to achieve beyond letting anyone with an axe to grind rant away.

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

it's truly weird - it's not a regulation as the F Word rightly points out.

What's their game do you thinK? Appeasing all their constituents who think that Christians are being persecuted again because they're not allowed to whip gay people in the street?

[AliceWorld]

Well it's being done across 'regulations' that are meant to be 'red tape'. Only this is primary legislation, not a regulation. They're not consulting on legislation generally, else they would be asking 'criminalising murder? is it just red tape that gets in the way of your assassination business? should it be scrapped altogether?'

[AliceWorld]

I honestly think their game is getting women back in the home. They are too many things that add together for it all to be coincidences.

That's in relation to feminism of course. The act covers more than that so they'll have other knee jerk ill informed electioneering reactions reasons for those.

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

I note that there are loads of "don't scrap it" comments on there already. (I've added one too).

[Prunnhilda]

I heard about this yesterday. Is this what used to be the Equal Opportunities Act or is that something different? (Sorry, am a bit behind on my legislation...)

I honestly feel there is something incredibly chilling about this government, and there has been from day one. They have a comprehensive and complex agenda that is slowly being rolled out.

[steamedtreaclesponge]

Tried to submit a comment on there and it just said 'you are trying to post comments too quickly, slow down.'

Erm...

FWIW, this is the craziest thing I've heard in a long time. I don't get why they are reviewing this.

[InmaculadaConcepcion]

That happened to me too, STS - I went back to my comment and tried again and it posted fine. Don't give up!

[sakura]

I repeat:
It's deliberate . Patriarchies destroy women deliberately. There's nothing strange about this at all. I'm surprised anyone here is surprised.

[sakura]

I went to the FiL conference last year and they basically spelled out how this government will put the women's movement back at least 25 years, and they added that any Tory-voting woman has no right to call herself a feminist.

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

yeah, woah there treacle! You can't stop the patriarchy like that - slow down and type like a lady.

It's bonkers.

[SanctiMoanyArse]

It's not just women, disabilities too. I suspect they hate anyone they see as lesser than a certain sort of male NT successful persona.

The equalities act enable DH to continue with his ecuation after being a carer intefered with his ability to attend a certain class; it enable women to follow their lives knwoing that whilst they can't prevent sexism, at elast they have recourse. Another rule being reviewed (by pickles this time) is the role of social services in providing respite- so mainly to females again- as well as tother related services (guaranteed education for thsoe with a SN, lifelong care if youa re severely disabled).

They aren't just targeting one group- it's all of the vulnerable ones. thing is women will be the ultimate victims as well: boys lose Sn school places? I have to give up my work to stay at home. DH loses carer's right? I have to .... oh yes, already said it. Boys lose right toc are- well until I die I have to be here! After that thank goodness I''ll be too dead to know!

There are many ways to beat women down; this lot seem to have found the keys to very many of them.

Of course as the abolishing of this act would mean that employers would be able to ask DH about his medical history in detail again (he has had severe MH issues) I would ahve to work as he'd not get a job; shame I'd be too busy picking up from the other end eh?

Sorry if thsi doesn't make sense; I am v annoyed.

[Insomnia11]

I will be out on the streets if they do, or go ahead with reducing employee's rights for those who work for small businesses.

I may even smash things.

[meditrina]

They are reviewing everything: there's a list of nearly 30 areas to review covering all sorts of things, such as pensions, fire regulations, major industrial hazards, commercial law, waste management, to name but a few. The same questions are asked of all of these areas in the same order - starting with scrapping them, and going through other possibilities such as merging and streamlining, and improving. There's a mixture of regulation and law of different types throughout.

Also the Equalities Act isn't aimed about women, though gender and pregnancy/maternity are covered. The full list of protected groups covered by this provisions of the Act are age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation.

I think it's about as likely to be scrapped as fire regulations are.

The important bit to me is that we are being invites to offer ways to improve the Act.

Now, what should we say to get the right improvements?

[AliceWorld]

"Once you?ve had your say, Ministers will have three months to work out which regulations they want to keep and why. But here?s the most important bit ? the default presumption will be that burdensome regulations will go. If Ministers want to keep them, they have to make a very good case for them to stay."

Maternity pay is there too

[AliceWorld]

SanctiMoanyArse - not surprised you are very annoyed.

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

Has everyone written to their MPs about this?
I am going to write to mine tonight - ask them to find out more about this. Ask them lots of difficult questions. That will raise awareness amongst politicians and prevent it from slipping under the radar. My local MP's office for instance had no clue about it when I called them earlier.

[byrel]

I think people are overreacting, the Government is looking at all regulatory areas to see whether some regulations could be scrapped in order to increase the ease of doing business and our economic competitiveness.

[MummyBerryJuice]

WTF?!?! . Surely there is some sort of European legislation that won't allow this?

[meditrina]

It might be worth, then, looking at the whole list of what is up for consultation, and working out what are important messages that should be pushed home as part of the consultation.

They want feedback via the website linked in OP.

This is an opportunity to push for improvements - what are the canny things to be asking for?

[PeachyAndTheArghoNauts]

Mummy there is

Theya re also making noises about leaving teh EU / doing away with the Human Rights Act

The Human Rights Act and linked regulation being dismissed will mean disabled children have no right to an education, and I imagine just as much awful stuff I do not know automatically

[MummyBerryJuice]

OMG . I knew they were bad but didn't think they were actively EVIL. My god.

So glad I didn't vote LibDem in the end.

[PeachyAndTheArghoNauts]

DH did but ahs amde up for it by joing another party and helping to drive elderly people to the polls (also have Assembly Polls same day here)