The UK must become a beacon for human rights, both at home and abroad, according a new report spearheaded by three former Conservative Cabinet Ministers.
The year-long inquiry into human rights and discrimination sets out about 70 policy recommendations for Theresa May’s Government, focussing on gender and disability discrimination in education and employment, as well as LGBT+ and BAME equality.
Alright, Who’s Behind This Report?
The recommendations come from Bright Blue, an independent think tank which promotes liberal conservatism.
It’s supported by a number of Conservative MPs and MSPs, including Zac Goldsmith, Michael Gove, and Anna Soubry.
This inquiry has also been backed by three former cabinet ministers as commissioners; Maria Miller, chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, former Attorney General for England and Wales Dominic Grieve QC, and Dame Caroline Spelman.
Matthew d’Ancona, a political writer for the Guardian, and human rights activist Benedict Rogers make up the rest of the commission.
Got It. So, What are They Saying Then?
Image Credit: Giphy
As we mentioned, there’s quite a lot of ideas in the report. It’s an impressive 73 pages long, and makes a similar number of recommendations. Here’s the general gist of their policies surrounding women’s rights:
- All police forces should classify misogyny as a hate crime
- A ban on the detention of pregnant women
- All civil service and Government agency jobs should be recruited gender-blind
- Everyone should have the right to request flexible working, from the moment they are offered a job
- Breaching a Domestic Violence Protection Order should become a criminal offence
- Expectant women should be given the right to paid leave for antenatal appointments
Looking at BAME rights, they suggest:
- All police forces should introduce positive action when hiring, and be name-blind
- The Government must give the Home Office the power to make police forces show the number of stop and searches is going down
- All police officers should wear body cameras
The report also makes a number of suggestions surrounding promoting human rights abroad, as well as LGBT bullying in schools. You can see the full report and their suggestions online.
Want to know more about your Human Rights and how wonderfully British they are?
- Take a look at this piece on Magna Carta, which also talks about beer
- Watch our video on David Maxwell Fyfe and how he introduced human rights
- See some reasons why we still need to fight for women’s equality
Image Credit: Bright Blue Think Tank
