The NuLabour legislative onslaught outlined in the Queen's speech has started.
The misnamed Equality Bill, introduced in the House of Lords on 18th May, sets out to create a Super Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation or Non-Departmental Public Body called the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, which will replace the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Commission for Racial Equality, and the Disability Rights Commission
If the new body had more power to affect Government policies before they are forced into law, than the quangos it will replace, or if it had a strong enforcement role and budget, then this might be a welcome move.
However, this does not seem to be the case.
Instead, it appears that the NuLabour plan is to further weaken any oversight of the Government or its tentacles of state, whilst paying lip service to allegedly "progressive" politics.
In particular the "Equality Bill" is also sneaking in complicated and controversial "Religous Discrimination / Harassment" powers which were could have a similar "chilling effect" on free speech, as the "Incitement to Religous Hatred" clauses which were removed from the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act during its passage through Parliament.
Presumably this is why the White Paper and Consultation on the creation of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights was originally done by the Department of Trade and Industry, but this so called "Equality Bill" is a product of the Home Office kremlin.
Note the vast number of exemptions for anything to do with National Security or the Criminal Justice system, or indeed any other function or duty of Ministers, which seem to be designed specifically to prevent this new legislation being used to uphold any complaints of Religous Discrimination against the very public bodies which are the most likely to have such complaints made against them.
e.g. people from Catholic or Islamic minorities who complain about the attitude of the authorities towards them, especialy with regards to alleged anti-terrorism stops and searches.
Lumping in "Human Rights" into this new Commission, will probably lead to Tony Blair yet again claiming that there are "no human rights or civil liberties" issues to worry about in the rest of the NuLabour legislative programme, such as the controversial ID Cards Bill.
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