This is the latest hare to have been set running by Government and the Commission on Integration and Cohesion. It’s a policy which encourages funders to cut money to groups working with marginalised peoples, particularly those from secular black and minority ethnic groups such as Southall Black Sisters – while at the same time encouraging faith group activities. The policy is still under consultation but already being enthusiastically implemented. And all under the policy platform of “social inclusion”. This is what Chris Walsh, a Coalition supporter, from Wise Owls has to say about it…..

“This policy is now being introduced for all equalities groups through the industry quangos like EHRC and HEAR – they are saying that any specific equalities organisation should not be funded and indeed may be breaking the equalities law as we are trying to help a specific group (in our case, many of whom are BAME and women) and therefore according to them discriminating against people who are not from that group.

On top of that there is no democracy in who is appointed to be on their boards, make strategy, policy and funding decisions – and more and more religious leaders are being invited on. There is no representation for those of us fighting age discrimination amongst older workers – they have appointed pensioner groups to represent us like Age Concern etc.

We need to be campaigning across all of the key excluded groups – age, gender, race and ethnicity, disability and sexuality for a democratic equalities movement representing all of us. Resources should go to those of us delivering on the ground instead of unelected, unrepresentative equalities industry quangos with their ‘not so great and not very good’ appointees.”