Is Britain Fair? Not Yet

Media releaseEmbargoed to 00.01 11 October 2010

IS BRITAIN FAIR? NOT YET

In the week when the Prime Minister argued for a new debate about fairness in Britain, the Equality and Diversity Forum (EDF) welcomes the first comprehensive review of the state of equality and human rights in Britain to be published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The report provides an essential databank on fairness for policy makers, highlighting both progress and areas where major challenges remain. For example, the report shows that a significant number of homicides are hate crimes resulting from prejudice based on race, disability, religion or sexual orientation. It also highlights persistent differences in educational attainment on the basis of socio-economic status, gender and ethnicity, which risk leaving generations of young people at a disadvantage.

Amanda Ariss, EDF’s Chief Executive, welcomed the report saying, ‘If Britain is to make the best use of everyone’s talents, we need to demolish the barriers to opportunity that hold some people back. That needs action by Government, by schools, councils and the health service, by employers and by civil society. This report shows how much there is still to be done, despite progress in many areas in recent years.

The Government has pledged to make Britain a fairer country. As the Chancellor prepares to announce the results of his spending review, Ministers need to put this commitment at the heart of all their plans. We want to see spending plans and policies that take account of existing inequalities, together with a cross-government strategy for increasing equality and fairness.’

Notes for editors

1. The Equality and Diversity Forum is a network of national equality and human rights NGOs. The network members are: Advice UK, Age UK, British Humanist Association, British Institute of Human Rights, Children’s Rights Alliance for England, Citizens Advice, Discrimination Law Association, End Violence Against Women Campaign, Equality Challenge Unit, English Regions Equality and Human Rights Network, Fawcett Society, JUSTICE, Law Centres Federation, Mind, National AIDS Trust, Press for Change, Race on the Agenda, RADAR, Refugee Council, RNIB, RNID, Runnymede Trust, Scope, Stonewall, The Age and Employment Network (TAEN), Trades Union Congress (TUC), UKREN (UK Race in Europe Network), UNISON, Women’s Budget Group and Women’s Resource Centre

2. The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s triennial review – How Fair is Britain? – will be published on October 11.

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