“Reform UK have made it clear whose side they’re on – and it’s not working people”
Reform UK’s has confirmed it will scrap the Equality Act immediately if it wins the next general election has drawn fierce criticism.
Twice sacked Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who is now Reform’s education, skills and equalities spokeswoman, vowed that Reform will ditch law, claiming that Britain is being “ripped apart by diversity, equality and inclusion” policies.
Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said that Reform’s plan makes it clear the party wants to “legalise discrimination”.
Nowak said: “It’s official – Reform UK think discrimination should be legal.
“If you’re discriminated against because you’re a woman, black, disabled, pregnant or gay – that’s fine with them.This is a blank cheque for bad employers to mistreat their staff.
He added: “And it wouldn’t stop there. Scrapping the Equality Act would just be the start.
“From ripping up equality protections, to backing fire-and-rehire, to opposing a ban on zero-hours contracts, Reform UK have made it clear whose side they’re on – and it’s not working people.”
UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards warned that the policy was “firing the starting gun on the race to the bottom.
“Far from standing against division, Reform is showing it wants to bring back discrimination. The party’s long made clear it’s against anything that improves rights at work or fairness.”
While the proposals are alarming, in a car-crash interview with journalist Victoria Derbyshire on Newsnight, Zia Yusuf, indicated that Reform will scrap the Equalities Act while keeping all of the protections in it.
Reform’s new Home Affairs spokesperson said his party will scrap the law, but still protect pregnant women from being sacked.
“So it will be the same act but with a different label,” Derbyshire pointed out.
Yusuf claimed that white working class boys “are at the bottom of the pile” due to diversity, equality and inclusion policies.
Derbyshire said that the Equality Act means that the 17 million disabled people in the UK have an equal right to a job, equal access to public transport and high enough door frames to ensure wheelchair users can get into buildings.
“Do you not want to protect those people?,” Derbyshire asked.
Yusuf responded: “No, I think those things should be protected.”
Asked which protected characteristics Reform would not want to protect, Yusuf failed to give any examples.
As one X user pointed out: “So what’s actually being scrapped …the law, or just the name?”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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