Change in focus in equality policy...

It's interesting - as far as change in focus, that's not impossible. Parties have changed focus before. The individualism and globalism of the post-Thatcher era has not always been the Conservative way of thinking or governing.

Given that the Conservatives have changed their voting block to a significant degree, it makes sense that their policy focus could change. Just as Labour became the party of the liberal middle classes and their policies changed to reflect that.

I always worry on the focus on freedom and choice as somehow being what betters individuals, families, and societies, however. I don't think that's been shown to be clearly true historically. People like choice, a certain amount of it anyway, and having a better choice rather than crappy choices in your life is a good thing. But more choices does not always make life better and freedom is not the easiest quality to define.

gerbil what is the book, please? Sounds like something I should read.

Yes, I’m with Gerbil here. This focus on “individual agency” sounds extremely ominous.

And removing a focus on “protected characteristics” sounds a lot like the beginning of the end of the Equality Act.

Specifically mentions BLM as a shouty voice.

This is not a good thing.

It is entirely in line with right wing political philosophy though so not surprised.

I read a good book which helped me understand why right leaning people think the way they do, it's hard for an inbuilt lefty to understand.

This is aside from bojo jrm wealthy elite types obv who are more of the feudal perspective.

'It will centre on reforms that aim to promote equality by handing people greater agency over their lives and making systems more transparent, rather than focusing on equality of outcome. ..'

Well there were go classic right wing policy.

AKA pull yourself up by your bootstraps.

Not surprised.

No this won't help anyone.

I was just going to post this link!

ON one level it should be good, but as it is the Tories I suspect that what will happen in practice will not help create a more equal society. ie it will be about how an individual can suceed, but ignore structural discrimination.

Also suspect this is part of a move by the Tories to keep the northern seats they only recently won (although many of the new Tory MPs are very "woke") by focusing (appearing to deal with) economic disparities.

And it may also be part of what is said to be an attempt to appear "softer" as they recognise the sort of arrogant individualism of Cummings hasn't done them much good.

" ... She will outline a pivot away from quotas, targets, unconscious bias training and diversity statements to improve equality, dismissing them as “tools of the Left” that “do nothing to fix systems”.
The state must not “waste time on misguided, wrong-headed and ultimately destructive ideas that take agency away from people,” she will say.
Her major policy reset, made in a speech entitled “The New Fight for Fairness”, will set out a fresh “Conservative values” approach to equalities based on “freedom, choice, opportunity, and individual humanity and dignity”.

It will centre on reforms that aim to promote equality by handing people greater agency over their lives and making systems more transparent, rather than focusing on equality of outcome. ...
In her robust intervention, Ms Truss will say the equality debate must be “led by facts… not by fashion”, which she is understood to believe includes the focus on protected characteristics.
She will argue that objective data should be prioritised over the subjective experiences of individuals in influencing policy.
She believes there has been an over-emphasis on campaign groups like Black Lives Matter and is concerned that the loudest groups have tended to attract the most attention, instead of evidence leading the debate, it is understood.
A Government source said: “The point is that fashionable causes may be good causes, but it leads to other people and real issues being ignored and neglected.”
Ms Truss will call time on "a small group of self-selecting activists" holding sway over the equalities debate. ...
While her speech will suggest that too heavy a focus has been placed on the legally-defined protected characteristics at the expense of other imbalances in society, she will commit to continuing the Government's work related to race and ethnic disparities, women’s economic empowerment, LGBT rights and the national strategy for disabled people. ... "

This speach has not yet been delivered so will be interesting to see what she actually says. (Do they leak speeches to get responses so they can fine tune what is eventually said?)

But this may explain the response to the GRA Consultation. That in fact they see it as a minority issue, and that nationally there are bigger equality issues to be tackled.

I just hope we dont go back the the Tatcher era of feminism of women can have it all, ie work all day, do the shopping on the way home, cook dinner and get up early to do the housework.

I'm going to reserve judgement.

The idea that the conservative party suddenly are really interested in poverty. In the North. Is. ????

I will hope for the best but sorry I can't see it.

We've known the reason they want to leave the EU is to get rid of a load of employment law and etc. Equalities laws are not their thing really.

We're not leaving the ECHR though are we?

And when it comes to human rights stuff we wrote all the sodding stuff and drove it in Europe back in the 50s...

It's going to be interesting.

Personally I would take this 'refocus' as a 'not interested in any of it' but I'm a dyed in the wool lefty so we'll have to see.

Don't forget the govt have overseen UC, austerity, running down NHS, way before covid there was a massive increase in Street homelessness, food banks became a normal thing etc etc

Yeah I'm not holding out too much hope tbh sorry.

'moving the hub north might ease groupthink' LRT ' sorry for paraphrase.

It might. Or it might import it further.
Another paraphrase "never expect a man to understand something if his income depends on not understanding it"

That said, a lot may happen in the year or 18 months or may take to get it set up

If they move the equalities hub to the north they might get some more straight talking. I'm not sure what an equalities hub is, mind!

I think truss & the conservatives think more in terms of individual choice and freedom, rather than systemic or structural inequality. A greater focus on economic inequality and poverty rather than identities sounds positive & sensible but the Conservative recent track record on this isn't good I think. We'll see. Agree it sounds like moving into old labour policy areas, but only if they follow through.

Sounds really interesting. I can't read the whole article as not a subscriber.

Certainly poverty is a massive issue obviously and we have a massive recession around the corner.

Does putting it in the North represent more recognition or pushing it away?

Is this a precursor to binning equalities legislation when we leave EU?

I don't trust the Tories at all on this stuff tbh that's my personal view.

Is sex equality mentioned at all in the article?

Seems sensible. As you say, a focus on poverty tends to benefit women. Will reserve judgement though, as I imagine the usual suspect lobbyists will be hard to shake off.

Sounds good on the face of it.
As RTB says, it smacks of proper Labour.

I find it hard these days not to mix up my Blue Labour with my Red Tories.

There must be a home for the massive cohort of material-minded equality seekers who want to create an environment where work is available and pays off, without punishing those who haven't got /can't get it.

Centrum? Cenpuds?

The usual suspects aren't going to like it.

This does sound like the material analysis we’ve been hoping for.

Not sure I trust the Tories much (or anyone really!) but a data project sounds like something that can be subject to public scrutiny, and that is surely better than the endless parade of anecdotes that has been passed off as evidence of inequality recently.