Cicero Policy Briefer

Issue 11, April 2007

Equality in the workplace: is there light at the end of the tunnel?

By Stephanie Fraser

Earlier this month the Equalities Review delivered some fairly disturbing findings on the levels of extant prejudice and discrimination in the UK. It was not so much the current situation but the estimates of future trends that made for particularly uncomfortable reading. At present rates Britain will elect a representative House of Commons in 2080, the gender pay gap will close in 2085 and the ethnic employment gap will remain until 2105. Worse still, the review estimated that the 50+ employment penalty gap “would not close in this lifetime”, the disability employment gap will “probably never” close and the ethnic qualification gap will “definitely never” be eliminated. Britain may have commemorated this month the 200-year anniversary of the abolition of slavery, but as a nation we are far from being able to deliver egalitarianism.

The Review allowed that there have been landmark improvements in the last 60 years, notably on universal access to public goods and affordable legal protection. These have been the result of hard-fought campaigns and struggles, strong political leadership and powerful economic and social trends. But has all the momentum of this struggle evaporated in the current social climate?

The recommendations of the review prioritise a new culture of openness, honesty, transparency and measurement of progress. Following this is the assumption that current levels of prejudice are latent and largely inadvertent, and will dissolve when brought into the light. This is unlikely to be sufficient, though. If the deeply entrenched inequalities in education, employment and quality of life are to be alleviated, equality needs a determined campaign and a credible parliamentary champion.

Ideally this champion will take the form of our Prime Minister in waiting, Gordon Brown. He has previously announced, “I’m not interested in the trappings of office, I’m interested in what I can do to help people”; and at a Fabians Event on the Future of Britain he declared that he would fight for “equality of opportunity”. All promising sentiments: now, the idealism needs to be translated into sound policies. In this he should be supported by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, when it takes on its full mandate in October 2007.

The new Commission will be a Non-Departmental Public Body whose purpose is to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people and protect human rights. The timing of this—in all probability just as Brown starts his session ‘in charge’—is ideal. With some cross-party political impetus and more media and public support we can hopefully change a ‘definitely never’ into a ‘definitely maybe’ at the very least.

Stephanie Fraser can be contacted on +44 (0)20 7665 9531 or click here to email.

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