Latest news with #BenWhitley
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Liberty in legal action against equalities watchdog over gender consultation
The campaign group said it has submitted legal papers to the High Court alleging the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) six-week consultation period on the new guidance is 'unlawful', with anything less than 12 weeks 'wholly insufficient'. The Supreme Court ruled in April that said the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex, after a challenge against the Scottish Government by campaign group For Women Scotland. The equalities regulator published lengthy draft guidance earlier this month related to trans people's use of certain spaces including toilets and participation in sports. The commission at that stage said it had tripled the length of time for feedback from an original proposal of two weeks, 'in light of the level of public interest, as well as representations from stakeholders in Parliament and civil society'. But Liberty is arguing this is not long enough and 'there is no good reason why it should not be' at least 12 weeks. The human rights organisation said it sent a pre-action letter to the EHRC earlier this week and has now submitted legal papers to the High Court and is waiting to see if a judge decides whether to proceed to a hearing based on its arguments. The group said it is also arguing that by having a consultation period shorter than 12 weeks, the commission is 'in breach of the public sector equality duty (PSED)' to 'eliminate unlawful discrimination'. Women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson will be presented with the guidance for approval (Ben Whitley/PA) The latest attempted legal challenge comes two weeks after campaign group the Good Law Project (GLP) said it had taken the first step of a legal challenge against the commission over the aspect of the guidance related to trans people's use of toilets, which it is arguing is 'wrong in law'. The interim guidance said trans women 'should not be permitted to use the women's facilities' in workplaces or public-facing services like shops and hospitals, with the same applying for trans men using men's toilets, although it added that trans people 'should not be put in a position where there are no facilities for them to use'. More detailed draft guidance earlier this month indicated a birth certificate could be requested by a sports club or hospital if there is 'genuine concern' about what biological sex a person is. It said people can be asked to confirm their birth sex if it is 'necessary and proportionate for a service provider, those exercising public functions or an association to know an individual's birth sex to be able to discharge their legal obligations'. It cautioned that any such question 'should be done in a sensitive way which does not cause discrimination or harassment'. The commission added that if there is 'genuine concern about the accuracy of the response to a question about birth sex, then a birth certificate could be requested'. The consultation on the draft guidance runs until June 30, with women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson likely to be presented with the finished guidance for approval in July. Akiko Hart, Liberty's director, said: 'We have taken legal action today because the consultation period set out by the EHRC is unlawful. 'As a public body, the EHRC has a legal duty to conduct a fair and lawful consultation process that allows everyone affected by a decision enough time to respond to it. 'Instead, they have tried to speed through sweeping changes to their guidance, initially giving just two weeks to people to respond to nearly 60 pages of amendments when printed out. Anything less than a minimum of 12 weeks on this issue is wholly insufficient and simply does not comply with the law. 'The EHRC's guidance will have life-changing implications for how all of us access vital services, from jobs, schooling, social clubs we might join, all the way up to how the armed forces operate. In particular, it will fundamentally change the ways in which trans people are able to safely participate in society, as well as how businesses and service providers operate. 'It is a fundamental part of our democracy that we are all given a fair opportunity to make our voices heard about any decision that impacts us. We urge the EHRC to extend the consultation period to at least 12 weeks, just as its previous consultation on this code of practice was. There is no good reason why it should not be.' An EHRC spokesperson said: 'We are unable to comment on any legal action at this stage.'
Western Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Liberty in legal action against equalities watchdog over gender consultation
The campaign group said it has submitted legal papers to the High Court alleging the Equality and Human Rights Commission's (EHRC) six-week consultation period on the new guidance is 'unlawful', with anything less than 12 weeks 'wholly insufficient'. The Supreme Court ruled in April that said the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex, after a challenge against the Scottish Government by campaign group For Women Scotland. The equalities regulator published lengthy draft guidance earlier this month related to trans people's use of certain spaces including toilets and participation in sports. The commission at that stage said it had tripled the length of time for feedback from an original proposal of two weeks, 'in light of the level of public interest, as well as representations from stakeholders in Parliament and civil society'. But Liberty is arguing this is not long enough and 'there is no good reason why it should not be' at least 12 weeks. The human rights organisation said it sent a pre-action letter to the EHRC earlier this week and has now submitted legal papers to the High Court and is waiting to see if a judge decides whether to proceed to a hearing based on its arguments. The group said it is also arguing that by having a consultation period shorter than 12 weeks, the commission is 'in breach of the public sector equality duty (PSED)' to 'eliminate unlawful discrimination'. Women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson will be presented with the guidance for approval (Ben Whitley/PA) The latest attempted legal challenge comes two weeks after campaign group the Good Law Project (GLP) said it had taken the first step of a legal challenge against the commission over the aspect of the guidance related to trans people's use of toilets, which it is arguing is 'wrong in law'. The interim guidance said trans women 'should not be permitted to use the women's facilities' in workplaces or public-facing services like shops and hospitals, with the same applying for trans men using men's toilets, although it added that trans people 'should not be put in a position where there are no facilities for them to use'. More detailed draft guidance earlier this month indicated a birth certificate could be requested by a sports club or hospital if there is 'genuine concern' about what biological sex a person is. It said people can be asked to confirm their birth sex if it is 'necessary and proportionate for a service provider, those exercising public functions or an association to know an individual's birth sex to be able to discharge their legal obligations'. It cautioned that any such question 'should be done in a sensitive way which does not cause discrimination or harassment'. The commission added that if there is 'genuine concern about the accuracy of the response to a question about birth sex, then a birth certificate could be requested'. The consultation on the draft guidance runs until June 30, with women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson likely to be presented with the finished guidance for approval in July. Akiko Hart, Liberty's director, said: 'We have taken legal action today because the consultation period set out by the EHRC is unlawful. 'As a public body, the EHRC has a legal duty to conduct a fair and lawful consultation process that allows everyone affected by a decision enough time to respond to it. 'Instead, they have tried to speed through sweeping changes to their guidance, initially giving just two weeks to people to respond to nearly 60 pages of amendments when printed out. Anything less than a minimum of 12 weeks on this issue is wholly insufficient and simply does not comply with the law. 'The EHRC's guidance will have life-changing implications for how all of us access vital services, from jobs, schooling, social clubs we might join, all the way up to how the armed forces operate. In particular, it will fundamentally change the ways in which trans people are able to safely participate in society, as well as how businesses and service providers operate. 'It is a fundamental part of our democracy that we are all given a fair opportunity to make our voices heard about any decision that impacts us. We urge the EHRC to extend the consultation period to at least 12 weeks, just as its previous consultation on this code of practice was. There is no good reason why it should not be.' The EHRC has been contacted for comment.
South Wales Guardian
27-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Farage fails to guarantee pensions triple lock but vows to axe benefits cap
The Reform UK leader also committed his party to fully reversing the winter fuel payment cuts announced by Labour upon entering government. The two-child benefit limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017. It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. Cabinet ministers have now said scrapping the two-child benefit cap is not off the table and last week Sir Keir Starmer U-turned on winter fuel payments, saying he wanted to look at widening eligibility for the payments worth up to £300. During a press conference in central London the Reform UK leader said his measures were 'aimed at British families'. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he would axe the two-child benefit cap if Reform UK got into power at the next general election (Ben Whitley/PA) Mr Farage told reporters: 'The triple lock for pensioners is not something we've addressed as yet. We will, between now and the next election. We are as you can see building out our policy platform.' The 'triple lock' guarantees state pensions will rise each year by whichever is highest: the annual rate of inflation, average growth in earnings, or 2.5%. Mr Farage said the party is built around three key principles, 'family, community and country'. 'That is why we believe lifting the two-child cap is the right thing to do,' he said. 'Not because we support a benefits culture, but because we believe for lower-paid workers this actually makes having children just a little bit easier for them. 'It's not a silver bullet, it doesn't solve all of those problems. But it helps them.' He added that he believes that 'having a transferable tax allowance between married people is the right thing to do'. The spending on welfare would be paid for, Mr Farage claimed, by cutting net zero costs – which he said were worth £45 billion every year, the £4 billion spent every year on asylum seeker accommodation, as well as diversity and equality spending which he said amounted to £7 billion annually. He also said reducing the spending on government bodies, Quangos, by 5% could save £65 billion across five years. He said his 'optimistic' plans overall could save £350 billion. He also claimed the cost of quantitative easing, where the Bank of England buys government bonds to increase the money supply into the system, cost more than Reform had predicted last year at £36 billion. The party had vowed to cut the amount spent on the measure. Mr Farage did not commit to keeping the triple lock on pensions (Ben Whitley/PA) He said: 'So what we're very good at is actually putting our finger on things and pointing out problems that nobody else has even thought of.' He added: 'I think you can see very clearly the direction that we're going in. We can't afford net zero, it's destroying the country, we can't afford DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion), it's actually preventing many talented people from succeeding, we certainly can't afford young undocumented males crossing the English Channel and living in five-star hotels with three square meals a day and free dental and health care.' Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper MP said Mr Farage wants to 'privatise the NHS' and 'come after people's pensions'. She said: 'Kemi Badenoch will certainly be happy that she and Farage have found some common ground when she asks him for a pact. 'Liberal Democrats are proud to have introduced the triple lock, standing by those who have given so much to our society. Nigel Farage would rather abandon them.' TUC general secretary Paul Nowak described the Reform UK leader as 'a political fraud who'll jump on any bandwagon to chase headlines'. He said: 'He is full of empty promises, writing cheques he knows will never be cashed. Because when it really counts, Farage always sides with the rich and powerful against working people. 'He ordered his MPs to vote against banning zero hours contracts and fire-and-rehire – practices that leave workers exploited and insecure. ' He added: 'Who bankrolls Farage? Hedge fund managers and speculators – the same people profiting from economic chaos. 'He pretends to be anti-establishment, but in reality he's as establishment as they come.' Mr Farage insisted he could become the next prime minister, despite a new YouGov poll showing he comes second to all of the other leaders of the main political parties on who the public think would make the best prime minister. The figures show Mr Farage trailing Sir Keir by 29% to 44%, Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey by 27% to 41%, and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch 25% to 29%. The Prime Minister's figures compared to Mr Farage have improved by 8% since February. Speaking in response to a question which asked whether a party could go from a handful of MPs to a parliamentary majority, he said: 'History would suggest the answer to your question is no. Circumstances would suggest the answer is yes. 'Something extraordinary is happening; the collapse of confidence in two political parties that are pretty much merged.' He also challenged the Prime Minister to a debate in a working man's club before the next election. He said: 'That's my open invitation to the Prime Minister. Let's go to one of the former mining communities, let's go somewhere that Labour have held the seat pretty much consistently since 1918. Whether the Prime Minister will enjoy a few beers with the lads and do the Channel 4 racing that afternoon, I'm not sure, but I am very, very happy to do so.'
Leader Live
27-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Farage fails to guarantee pensions triple lock but vows to axe benefits cap
The Reform UK leader also committed his party to fully reversing the winter fuel payment cuts announced by Labour upon entering government. The two-child benefit limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017. It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. Cabinet ministers have now said scrapping the two-child benefit cap is not off the table and last week Sir Keir Starmer U-turned on winter fuel payments, saying he wanted to look at widening eligibility for the payments worth up to £300. During a press conference in central London the Reform UK leader said his measures were 'aimed at British families'. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he would axe the two-child benefit cap if Reform UK got into power at the next general election (Ben Whitley/PA) Mr Farage told reporters: 'The triple lock for pensioners is not something we've addressed as yet. We will, between now and the next election. We are as you can see building out our policy platform.' The 'triple lock' guarantees state pensions will rise each year by whichever is highest: the annual rate of inflation, average growth in earnings, or 2.5%. Mr Farage said the party is built around three key principles, 'family, community and country'. 'That is why we believe lifting the two-child cap is the right thing to do,' he said. 'Not because we support a benefits culture, but because we believe for lower-paid workers this actually makes having children just a little bit easier for them. 'It's not a silver bullet, it doesn't solve all of those problems. But it helps them.' He added that he believes that 'having a transferable tax allowance between married people is the right thing to do'. The spending on welfare would be paid for, Mr Farage claimed, by cutting net zero costs – which he said were worth £45 billion every year, the £4 billion spent every year on asylum seeker accommodation, as well as diversity and equality spending which he said amounted to £7 billion annually. He also said reducing the spending on government bodies, Quangos, by 5% could save £65 billion across five years. He said his 'optimistic' plans overall could save £350 billion. He also claimed the cost of quantitative easing, where the Bank of England buys government bonds to increase the money supply into the system, cost more than Reform had predicted last year at £36 billion. The party had vowed to cut the amount spent on the measure. Mr Farage did not commit to keeping the triple lock on pensions (Ben Whitley/PA) He said: 'So what we're very good at is actually putting our finger on things and pointing out problems that nobody else has even thought of.' He added: 'I think you can see very clearly the direction that we're going in. We can't afford net zero, it's destroying the country, we can't afford DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion), it's actually preventing many talented people from succeeding, we certainly can't afford young undocumented males crossing the English Channel and living in five-star hotels with three square meals a day and free dental and health care.' Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper MP said Mr Farage wants to 'privatise the NHS' and 'come after people's pensions'. She said: 'Kemi Badenoch will certainly be happy that she and Farage have found some common ground when she asks him for a pact. 'Liberal Democrats are proud to have introduced the triple lock, standing by those who have given so much to our society. Nigel Farage would rather abandon them.' TUC general secretary Paul Nowak described the Reform UK leader as 'a political fraud who'll jump on any bandwagon to chase headlines'. He said: 'He is full of empty promises, writing cheques he knows will never be cashed. Because when it really counts, Farage always sides with the rich and powerful against working people. 'He ordered his MPs to vote against banning zero hours contracts and fire-and-rehire – practices that leave workers exploited and insecure. ' He added: 'Who bankrolls Farage? Hedge fund managers and speculators – the same people profiting from economic chaos. 'He pretends to be anti-establishment, but in reality he's as establishment as they come.' Mr Farage insisted he could become the next prime minister, despite a new YouGov poll showing he comes second to all of the other leaders of the main political parties on who the public think would make the best prime minister. The figures show Mr Farage trailing Sir Keir by 29% to 44%, Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey by 27% to 41%, and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch 25% to 29%. The Prime Minister's figures compared to Mr Farage have improved by 8% since February. Speaking in response to a question which asked whether a party could go from a handful of MPs to a parliamentary majority, he said: 'History would suggest the answer to your question is no. Circumstances would suggest the answer is yes. 'Something extraordinary is happening; the collapse of confidence in two political parties that are pretty much merged.' He also challenged the Prime Minister to a debate in a working man's club before the next election. He said: 'That's my open invitation to the Prime Minister. Let's go to one of the former mining communities, let's go somewhere that Labour have held the seat pretty much consistently since 1918. Whether the Prime Minister will enjoy a few beers with the lads and do the Channel 4 racing that afternoon, I'm not sure, but I am very, very happy to do so.'
Glasgow Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Farage fails to guarantee pensions triple lock but vows to axe benefits cap
The Reform UK leader also committed his party to fully reversing the winter fuel payment cuts announced by Labour upon entering government. The two-child benefit limit was first announced in 2015 by the Conservatives and came into effect in 2017. It restricts child tax credit and universal credit to the first two children in most households. Cabinet ministers have now said scrapping the two-child benefit cap is not off the table and last week Sir Keir Starmer U-turned on winter fuel payments, saying he wanted to look at widening eligibility for the payments worth up to £300. During a press conference in central London the Reform UK leader said his measures were 'aimed at British families'. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he would axe the two-child benefit cap if Reform UK got into power at the next general election (Ben Whitley/PA) Mr Farage told reporters: 'The triple lock for pensioners is not something we've addressed as yet. We will, between now and the next election. We are as you can see building out our policy platform.' The 'triple lock' guarantees state pensions will rise each year by whichever is highest: the annual rate of inflation, average growth in earnings, or 2.5%. Mr Farage said the party is built around three key principles, 'family, community and country'. 'That is why we believe lifting the two-child cap is the right thing to do,' he said. 'Not because we support a benefits culture, but because we believe for lower-paid workers this actually makes having children just a little bit easier for them. 'It's not a silver bullet, it doesn't solve all of those problems. But it helps them.' He added that he believes that 'having a transferable tax allowance between married people is the right thing to do'. The spending on welfare would be paid for, Mr Farage claimed, by cutting net zero costs – which he said were worth £45 billion every year, the £4 billion spent every year on asylum seeker accommodation, as well as diversity and equality spending which he said amounted to £7 billion annually. He also said reducing the spending on government bodies, Quangos, by 5% could save £65 billion across five years. He said his 'optimistic' plans overall could save £350 billion. He also claimed the cost of quantitative easing, where the Bank of England buys government bonds to increase the money supply into the system, cost more than Reform had predicted last year at £36 billion. The party had vowed to cut the amount spent on the measure. Mr Farage did not commit to keeping the triple lock on pensions (Ben Whitley/PA) He said: 'So what we're very good at is actually putting our finger on things and pointing out problems that nobody else has even thought of.' He added: 'I think you can see very clearly the direction that we're going in. We can't afford net zero, it's destroying the country, we can't afford DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion), it's actually preventing many talented people from succeeding, we certainly can't afford young undocumented males crossing the English Channel and living in five-star hotels with three square meals a day and free dental and health care.' Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper MP said Mr Farage wants to 'privatise the NHS' and 'come after people's pensions'. She said: 'Kemi Badenoch will certainly be happy that she and Farage have found some common ground when she asks him for a pact. 'Liberal Democrats are proud to have introduced the triple lock, standing by those who have given so much to our society. Nigel Farage would rather abandon them.' TUC general secretary Paul Nowak described the Reform UK leader as 'a political fraud who'll jump on any bandwagon to chase headlines'. He said: 'He is full of empty promises, writing cheques he knows will never be cashed. Because when it really counts, Farage always sides with the rich and powerful against working people. 'He ordered his MPs to vote against banning zero hours contracts and fire-and-rehire – practices that leave workers exploited and insecure. ' He added: 'Who bankrolls Farage? Hedge fund managers and speculators – the same people profiting from economic chaos. 'He pretends to be anti-establishment, but in reality he's as establishment as they come.' Mr Farage insisted he could become the next prime minister, despite a new YouGov poll showing he comes second to all of the other leaders of the main political parties on who the public think would make the best prime minister. The figures show Mr Farage trailing Sir Keir by 29% to 44%, Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey by 27% to 41%, and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch 25% to 29%. The Prime Minister's figures compared to Mr Farage have improved by 8% since February. Speaking in response to a question which asked whether a party could go from a handful of MPs to a parliamentary majority, he said: 'History would suggest the answer to your question is no. Circumstances would suggest the answer is yes. 'Something extraordinary is happening; the collapse of confidence in two political parties that are pretty much merged.' He also challenged the Prime Minister to a debate in a working man's club before the next election. He said: 'That's my open invitation to the Prime Minister. Let's go to one of the former mining communities, let's go somewhere that Labour have held the seat pretty much consistently since 1918. Whether the Prime Minister will enjoy a few beers with the lads and do the Channel 4 racing that afternoon, I'm not sure, but I am very, very happy to do so.'
