Labour has evidently not learned from its recent troubles with the Sentencing Council over guidelines which risked undermining the very foundations of the criminal justice system. The government now has plans to create a new enforcement body to tackle ‘pay discrimination’ against ethnic minorities and disabled people.
The equalities minister, Seema Malhotra, has set up a call for evidence which will search for advice on the planned formation of an equal pay regulatory and enforcement unit – a proposed quango that would work with the trade union movement to strengthen the implementation of equal pay rights. In a statement plucked straight from the ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ playbook, Malhotra declared that ‘equality is a key factor in delivering long-term and sustainable growth across the UK economy.’
The timing of Labour’s announcement is puzzling to say the least. Its wranglings with the Sentencing Council, which issued recommendations Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said amounted to ‘two-tier justice’, shows that overreaching quangos have been captured by racial identity politics.
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