Reform UK says they'll scrap the Equality Act on "day one".
Reform UK says they'll scrap the Equality Act on 'day one'. But many folks have no idea what that actually means for them...
Most people hear Equality Act and think it's about diversity training and HR box ticking. It isn't, it's the law that protects YOU, right now, in ways you probably don't even realise.
Look, I'm not a lawyer, but from what I understand the Equality Act 2010 protects over half of the population through its sex and maternity provisions alone. And around 16 million disabled people in the UK rely on its "reasonable adjustments" duty to access shops, transport, and work. In a typical year, over 30,000 people use it to challenge unfair treatment at Employment Tribunals.
So what does scrapping it actually mean for our everyday lives?
Your mum's guide dog? 🐕
The Equality Act is the reason service providers must allow assistance dogs. Without it, a restaurant could lawfully turn her away at the door.
Your haircut? 💇🏼♀️
Right now, it's unlawful to charge men and women different prices for the same service. That protection sits in the Equality Act - nowhere else.
The office Christmas party? 🎄
If a workmate harasses your partner, your daughter, or you at work drinks, your employer is currently liable under the Act. Remove it, and they've got no statutory obligation to do a thing about it.
Looking for somewhere to rent? 🏡
The Equality Act is the explicit legal prohibition against refusing a tenant because of their race, sex, or disability. Without it, the civil law protection that prevents "No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs" notices disappears. There is no other statute that does this job.
Pregnant? 🫄🏽
A boss can't refuse to promote you because you 'might' get pregnant, and a shop can't treat you unfavourably because you're expecting. That's the Equality Act. Without it, there's no statutory framework for a tribunal to decide whether you were passed over on 'merit' or because of your pregnancy.
Breastfeeding in a café? 🤱
The Equality Act gives one of its strongest protections here, because unlike most areas of discrimination law, there's no "objective justification" defence available. A business simply can't treat you unfavourably for breastfeeding. Remove that provision, and the protection vanishes entirely.
Wheelchair user? ♿
The legal duty that requires businesses to make reasonable adjustments: the wide doors, the ramps, the lowered counters – that's the Equality Act. Building regulations cover new builds, but the ongoing duty on service providers to remove barriers for disabled people? That's the Act. Scrap it, and that duty goes with it.
Going for a job? 🏢
A prospective employer can't ask you about your health conditions before they offer you the job. That's Section 60 of the Equality Act. But without it, "Do you have any mental health issues?" becomes a perfectly lawful interview question.
Looking after your disabled mum or dad? 👵🏼
Right now, your employer can't treat you badly because you're a carer. That's "discrimination by association" under the Act. Without it, there's no statutory basis to challenge them.
"It was just banter!" 😂
Right now, that's not a legal defence. If workplace 'jokes' create a hostile environment linked to your sex, your race, your religion, or to your disability, then the law is on your side. Remove the Act, and there's no statutory definition of harassment for a tribunal to apply.
Wear a turban or a hijab? 🧕🏼
A blanket 'no headwear' policy at work currently has to account for the fact that it disproportionately affects certain religions. That's "indirect discrimination" under the Act. Without it, your boss can ban all headwear and there's no legal mechanism to challenge it.
This isn't about being 'woke', and this isn't about 'identity politics'. This is about whether your pregnant wife can challenge being passed over at work, whether your disabled dad can get into a building, or whether your daughter is protected from harassment at the work Christmas do.
The Equality Act 2010 didn't invent new rights out of thin air. It consolidated decades of hard won protections: from the Equal Pay Act 1970 to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 to the Race Relations Act 1976 to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 – into one clear piece of law. A load of major legal statutes brought together so that everyone could understand their rights.
Reform UK says they want "meritocracy not tokenism". But without the legal framework of protected characteristics, a court has no statutory definition to work with. How does a tribunal decide if you were sacked for poor performance or because you're pregnant, disabled, or Black? The Equality Act gives them the tools. Without it, 'meritocracy' is just a word with absolutely nothing behind it.
So, before you cheer for (or vote for) scrapping the Equality Act, maybe ask yourself: which of these protections are you happy to lose?
#EqualityAct #ReformUK #EmploymentLaw #Discrimination #WorkplaceRights #Equality #HumanRights #UKPolitics
Written by Tony McCaffery
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