Mayor says equality needs rights in reality, not just on paper.

As the Commission for Equality and Human Rights opens for business on Monday 1 October, the Mayor of London has stressed the need for it to be backed up by the introduction of comprehensive anti-discrimination law and enforcement.

The Mayor called for legislation that delivers 'rights in reality not just on paper'. Mayor Ken Livingstone said: 'Britain’s anti-discrimination law is not working and needs a major shake up to deliver real and enforceable rights to equality. Intrinsic to securing our vision for a fundamentally more equal society is legislation that protects people against discrimination in all its forms and mechanisms.

'This is not the case at the moment: discrimination remains legal depending on who you are and where it happens. The law is mainly enforced on an individual basis, after discrimination has had an impact on an individual’s life. Tribunals have few powers to correct patterns of discrimination, while barriers mean that few cases of discrimination in services get a hearing. The opportunity to deliver a system that will protect and promote equality across the board exists in the Discrimination Law Review.'

The Mayor stressed that the Review needs to produce a stronger and comprehensive Single Equality Act.

He added: 'A new Act is needed to remove loopholes in legislation and give stronger enforcement to end pay discrimination against women and challenge the under-representation of women and ethnic minorities in senior employment and breaches of disability discrimination legislation.

'Age discrimination in the provision of goods and services, or against carers, who have no right to non-discrimination, remains legal. Harassment on the basis of religion should not be lawful. Discrimination in immigration and nationality services should in general be covered by anti-discrimination law.'

The Mayor feels that the equality vision behind the pledge to introduce a Single Equality Act will not be met by a few isolated individual policies, but needs a step change in the enforcement of rights.
The Mayor said: 'Lacking representative structures yet with a remit to cover six strands of equality in addition to human rights, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights is a far from ideal organisation to replace and extend the three statutory equality commissions.

'Strengthening the law that will be its job to uphold and building more checks and balances into the equality law and procedures – through responsibilities such as to monitor workforces, review pay structures, take positive action, explicitly duties on procurement, by extending strong public sector duties and improving enforcement – would provide essential support to help in the move to a more equal society.'