The coalition is doing at least one thing right in equality-related matters, by slashing the annual budget of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (‘EHRC’). There have been numerous reports about the issue in the press and online in recent months, for example:
Nowhere is EHRC’s ideological anti-business agenda clearer than with respect to ‘gender balance in the boardroom’. On 28 May 2012 EHRC put up a piece about ‘our new research’ on the topic. Reflecting the left-wing work ethic of the EHRC, the ‘new research’ turns out not to have been carried out by them. It relates to a report by Cranfield International Centre for Women Leaders (‘CICWL’) – Professor Susan Vinnicombe’s mob of malcontents, funded by the long-suffering taxpayer – and for good measure on the EHRC website there’s a supportive testimonial from Helena Morrissey, the founder of the 30% club. Dear God, does the woman never rest? She’s the CEO of Newton Investment Management, she runs the 30% club, and she has nine kids. If we plugged her into the National Grid our energy supply problems would be over.
The EHRC piece:
According to the piece quoted in The Times, EHRC’s budget is to be cut from £60m pa to £22.5m pa over the course of this Parliament. A good start. We just need a further £22.5m pa cut and we’ll be where we need to be. I’d vote for any party which promised that in its manifesto.