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Equalities and Human Rights Commission Should Be Axed, Says Thinktank

Trevor Phillips

First Posted: 08/08/11 07:14 Updated: 07/10/11 11:12

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PRESS ASSOCIATION --- The UK's human rights watchdog should be scrapped, a think-tank has said.

The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) costs millions of pounds, contributes "very little to meaningful equality", and inaccurately blames Britain for statistical differences between some groups, Civitas said.

However the EHRC said its job is to "start a debate on issues where we could see better outcomes for people suffering unfair disadvantages".

Launching its report, a Civitas spokesman said: "Ultimately, abolishing the EHRC itself would not just be a cost-saving exercise.

"It may well present an opportunity to channel resources into addressing the most pertinent issues holding back equality and fairness."

The report, Small Corroding Words by Jon Gower Davis, described the commission's goal of equality as impractical, saying that it wishes that "life outcomes be entirely divorced from health limitations, cultural practices and lifestyles".

The EHRC "draws attention to the comparatively small differences in life expectancy between all British-born women (80.5) and women of Pakistani origin (77.3), but fails to draw attention to the much larger difference in outcomes between British women of Pakistani origin and women living in Pakistan (67.5)", Civitas said.

It also accused the commission of refusing Britain a fair hearing, instead holding it responsible for factors over which it has no control.

The EHRC also has an illogical use of statistics and a "narrow approach to social policy" which is neither reasonable nor useful, the think-tank said. It also criticised the pay and expenses of the commission's most senior staff, including chairman Trevor Phillips, and questioned its value for money.

Mark Hammond, chief executive of the EHRC, said: "There are many reasons why people experience different levels of prosperity, health and happiness, but in some cases this can be because of discrimination and unfairness.

"No one blames Britain for that but it's our job to start a debate on issues where we could see better outcomes for people suffering unfair disadvantages. Mr Phillips does not hold the views attributed to him by Civitas."

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PRESS ASSOCIATION --- The UK's human rights watchdog should be scrapped, a think-tank has said. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) costs millions of pounds, contributes "very little ...
PRESS ASSOCIATION --- The UK's human rights watchdog should be scrapped, a think-tank has said. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) costs millions of pounds, contributes "very little ...
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European1919
I am the PigmⒶn
546 Fans
06:04 on 09/08/2011
No idea why this pc pr exercise was started in the first place anyway.
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srooge
73 Fans
03:43 on 09/08/2011
I just want to know where to put my camera when World War III breaks out. I hope it's in three-D with smell-A vision.
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srooge
73 Fans
03:41 on 09/08/2011
Please remember to add a little economic slavery to the mix. Hey, look there are fires. Well, that went over like lead ballon. So much for book smart people who never see the light of day.
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cinesimonj
159 Fans
22:40 on 08/08/2011
At a time when right wing extremism is on the rise, a massive power base behind them in America's Tea Party and UK's BNP & allies - European hate groups feel more empowered than ever to take action; and the right wants to shut down a primary avenue of exploring how this can happen in society.
Color me shocked.
One wonders whether the right will ever learn(or want to learn) from atrocities such as the holocaust.
They continue to deny reality and any self-awareness and understanding that such horrors are born by society - they're not spontaneous eruptions from a small bunch of sickos.
It's as if they think hate-based mass murder and all that precedes it such as the proud and dehumanizing bigotry that exists now against Muslims as it did Jews in the '30s - is just another of god's tools, and apparently we can do naught about it.
No, better to 'save' a few million, and put all the devastation it sought to understand and halt down to random godliness.
After all: to the right, humanity is no more enlightened now than the 'dark ages', all science is an attack on their faith, and is inherently dishonest.
Shame on them.
I used to think that unlike their obvious financial industry corruption, at least the Tories were relatively moderate culturally. It seems I've been too generous.
Their 'think tanks'(pay-for-play legislation mills), whose recommendations they regularly make law, seem culturally motivated and have nothing to do with austerity.
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pipetoe
213 Fans
07:52 on 09/08/2011
You watch too much TV.
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cinesimonj
159 Fans
09:23 on 09/08/2011
You prefer to stay ignorant.
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cinesimonj
159 Fans
09:24 on 09/08/2011
I don't watch TV, little kiddie...
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eric14
1213 Fans
 
14:02 on 08/08/2011
Over the last 20 years the European Union has disbursed billions to NIC's (Newly Independent Countries in Europe and Central Asia). Several organizations managed these disbursements through processes which required a bidding process.

Once bids were entered a short list was drawn up in consultation with a representative of the recipient government. This representative could then reject any bid he/she did not like.

One of the Appendices to these bid packages was a listing of all staff proposed to do the work in the recipient country. Also included were CV's with photographs. Recipients were able to, and frequently did, reject applicants if they contained a nominee they did not like because of race or religion.

EU folk in Brussels were well aware that they were participating in institutional racism of a very disgusting kind. But they did not want trouble. Their task was to achieve and maintain stability of these new countries. So, very few people of colour were nominated for positions by bidders.

I gave three MP's details of what was going on. They did nothing. I was later informed that the predecessor organisation to the EHRC was responsible for oversight of racism in the European Union. Is that true?

If so, what has EHRC done?
If not, who is?
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eric14
1213 Fans
 
13:45 on 08/08/2011
I wrote to the BBC three years ago and the BBC Trust over a year ago concerning the complete failure of the BBC to employ any Chinese or other Oriental British people as broadcasters on television. They still have no Oriental broadcasters.

Why not?

How much time has the EHRC devoted to the absence of British Orientals from public life?
How much Trevor?

The EHRC gives the impression of employing a 1970's view of race and race relations, which goes like this:

Black people - the main victims of racism which is a crime committed by whites..
White people - the perpetrators of racism, imperialism and colonialism.
South Asians - honorary blacks when experiencing white racism but not when experiencing black racism
Orientals & Others - Who?

Racism take place in all directions between all ethnic groups. Does the EHRC engage the public with that perspective? No, they in fact help us to underestimate the significance of many forms of racism. Perhaps the EHRC does not want to discuss them because they do not affect issues of 'equality' as they so define them.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gussom
On the message
778 Fans
 
13:01 on 08/08/2011
Civitas claims to be independent, but they seem to have a lot of articles published in the Torygraph we should be told why.
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cinesimonj
159 Fans
22:42 on 08/08/2011
Shocking isn't it.
What's the bet that this particular piece of bizarre non-wisdom was purchased by a BNP fundraiser.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
gussom
On the message
778 Fans
 
12:29 on 08/08/2011
Why disband the need to protect minorities who have no voice is vital in a civilized society, where there is no fail-safe hegemony is the result.
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Lordegbutnobacon
26 Fans
 
10:13 on 08/08/2011
I doubt there would be much of an out-cry if were disbanded.
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cinesimonj
159 Fans
22:43 on 08/08/2011
If you were dishonest about what they did and their purpose, sure.
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tiggs95
0 Fans
 
09:48 on 08/08/2011
An organisation which needs racial differences to exist, is hardly likely to be any use to those of us who ignore them as irrelevant to "the content of a man's character", thank you Dr King.
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cinesimonj
159 Fans
22:31 on 08/08/2011
Are you saying there's no issue in the UK?
By your logic, firefighters need to do no research in how better to put out fires, police need to scientific avenue to figure stuff out(I guess the eminently Tory 'Truthiness' is something which you guys rally do rely on instead of reality, huh?), and science need not exist.
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VTya
youcan'tfoolallthepeopleallthetime
393 Fans
04:21 on 09/08/2011
All this ... while London is burning ... because of inequality and disenfranchisement ... LOL!
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cinesimonj
159 Fans
09:25 on 09/08/2011
Yeah it's all so hilarious to those of us who can laugh down our noses.
It's not as if we're talking about human beings, right?
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