Putting the immigration issues to one side for a moment, as I believe all parties are trying to come up with ways of addressing it.
Here’s what Reform UK’s own policy documents and recent reporting reveal about their stance on the Equality Act:
Reform UK’s Position on the Equality Act
According to Reform UK’s 2024 “Contract” (their equivalent of a manifesto):
- They intend to scrap the Equality Act 2010 entirely.
- They specifically criticize it for enforcing "positive action" and claim it has lowered standards and reduced economic productivity.
- They also vow to eliminate Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DE&I) rules.
- Furthermore, Reform proposes to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and introduce a new British Bill of Rights.
Other legal commentary confirms the vagueness of their pledge: they want to replace the Equality Act but provide no details on what, if anything, would take its place.
What This Means
Reform UK’s Pledge Implications
Scrap Equality Act 2010
Dismantling legal protections against discrimination based on characteristics like gender, race, disability, religion, sex, and age.
End DE&I rules
Remove institutional policies aimed at promoting workplace inclusivity and protecting historically marginalized groups.
No official replacement proposed
Creates legal uncertainty and could leave many without recourse against discrimination.
What Others Are Saying
On discussion forums like the National Autistic Society’s community board, Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice has been quoted saying:
“We must fire all these EDI woke jobs and scrap the 2010 Equality Act which is so damaging to growth and productivity.”
Bottom Line
Reform UK is explicitly planning to scrap the Equality Act. Their publicly declared platform not only advocates repealing it, but also cutting tied-in equality measures like DE&I frameworks—with no clear replacement. This represents a radical restructuring of the UK’s equalities legal framework.
Is this not a reason not to vote Reform, if you have any disabled family members, or care about equality and human rights in general, it's terrifying to me.
How is this not talked about more.