Crisis at the EHRC
30 Mar 2009
By James Medhurst
It was reported on the front page of the Guardian on Saturday morning that Sir Bert Massie, the former chairman of the Disability Rights Commission, has threatened to resign from his post as a commissioner of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. His decision follows three resignations earlier in the same week and many people are unhappy with the direction in which the organisation is going. The problem is that the softly softly approach favoured by Trevor Phillips in his days as head of the Commission for Racial Equality was in marked contrast to the more proactive stance taken by the DRC and the Equal Opportunities Commission. The merged body under Phillips has also been reluctant to take a hard line, and indeed it has seemed at times like it is not a campaigning organisation any more, with its rejection of important concepts such as multi-culturalism and institutional racism.
As Sir Bert Massie himself noted, the EHRC receives a considerable amount of funding which it needs to spend wisely. Like the Financial Services Authority, which has been far from glorious in recent years, there must surely be a question as to whether tightening up the law would be a better way of keeping businesses on the straight and narrow. They may even appreciate the reduction in taxes which might become possible if these organisations subsequently become unnecessary. Regulation by law is cheaper and more effective than regulation by quango.
2 Responses to “Crisis at the EHRC”
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EHRC
March 30th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Of course we have our critics, in an area as complex as ours, where a fair and equal society is the business of everyone, we would expect nothing less. The recent announcements about the departures of Nicola Brewer, Kay Hampton and Patrick Diamond are in no way related. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in the last 18 months, from the grant programme distributing £10.5m to grass roots organisations; the helpline which takes thousands of calls a month; more than 90 legal actions to protect and extend rights for everyone (here’s three examples: David Allen, Sharon Coleman, Jason Smith); undertaking our duties under Section 16 of the Equality Act 2006 and a series of substantial reports (see here, here, here, here and here) aimed at providing new policy solutions to long running issues around fairness and human rights. We will always listen to what others have to say about our performance but after 18 months, we believe our record of achievement gives us the firm foundation to move Britain towards a future where everyone can be their best whatever their characteristic or background.
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James Medhurst
March 31st, 2009 at 6:51 pm
I have no doubt that the EHRC does a great deal of important work. My frustration comes from the sense that it could be doing a lot more with the resources it has at its disposal. Ultimately, it is because I believe so passionately in what it stands for that I want it to do better.