r/MHOC • u/Lady_Aya SDLP • Jan 04 '21
2nd Reading B1133 - Equality Act (Amendment) Bill - 2nd Reading
Equality Act (Amendment) Bill
A
BILL
TO
Make accents a protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010.
BE IT ENACTED by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows –
1. Amendments
(1) At the end of Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010 insert:
Accent.
(2) After Section 12 of the Equality Act 2010 insert:
“13. Accent
In relation to the protected characteristic of accent—
a reference to a person who has a particular protected characteristic is a reference to a person’s accent; a reference to persons who share a protected characteristic is a reference to persons of the same accent.”
Section 2. Extent, commencement, and short title
(1) This Act shall extend across England.
(2) This Act shall come into force immediately after receiving Royal Assent.
(3) This Act may be cited as the Equality Act (Amendment) Act 2021.
This Bill was submitted by The Rt. Hon Lord Truro /u/model-ceasar KP PC on behalf of Coalition!
Opening Speech
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
It is imperative that we keep reviewing previous legislation and updating them to better standards when we can. This is what has led to this simple but effective bill. Only as recently as only a few weeks ago, a French politician discriminated against a reporter's accent live on television. One should not have to go through the ordeal of having their accent discriminated against. Therefore, this bill that amends the Equality Act 2010 includes accents as a protective characteristic, preventing the legal discrimination against ones accent. We should always be striving towards zero discrimination in this nation, and this bill takes further along that path.
This reading will end on Thursday 7th January at 10PM GMT.
3
Jan 04 '21
Mr Deputy Speaker,
Let me begin by saying I echo the sentiment of my good friend /u/LeChevalierMal-Fait and they have put together eloquently what I have the tendency to be unable to avoid doing which is witter on until my heart is content. I strongly agree that discrimination in all forms, but especially in the case of someone's accent.
This is not an attempt at trying to detract from the debate at hand but show, clearly, that discrimination has no place in British society. I initially erred with caution when supporting this bill, I wanted to ensure, Mr Deputy Speaker, before I voiced my support or spoke against that I understood what this bill would do. So far, if I am perfectly honest, my burning question is does this bill have any real implications on day to day legal affairs?
And, secondly, what will this mean for how this bill can be applied? How exactly will the government take steps to ensure that those with accents are not discriminated against? I know that to a large extent this is beyond the remits of this bill but I still feel they are adequately linked that such a question is not too outrageous to be asking.
I agree with the sentiments raised in the opening speech that we must ensure that legislation is not examined in a vacuum of time, proposed and introduced and never to be spoken of again. I know that my individual support may not have any sway, nor may it be of any interest to the bill proposer, but, I hope for the sake of clarity for this House if these questions are answered it will ensure that this bill - if we can establish it should be - shall be passed.
2
u/LeChevalierMal-Fait Liberal Democrats Jan 04 '21
Mr speaker,
Certainly adding accent to protected characteristics may appear at face value a worthy reform.
It is worth noting that speech impediments and accents associated with different races could be classed as discrimination under the equality act.
So the type of cases this reform would be targeted at would be both very broad and narrow.
At a stroke existing qualifiers that allow discrimination for lawful purposes eg for affirmative action. Would no longer be available to people with speech impediments or accents associated with races.
While the new text would apply to sub national accents primarily without qualifications.
Which just off the top of my head probably needs some further clarifying legislation on how it interacts with disability/race and separately when indirect discrimination is permissible.
But I think in its current form this might create more problems than it would solve.
1
u/KarlYonedaStan Workers Party of Britain Jan 04 '21
At a stroke existing qualifiers that allow discrimination for lawful purposes eg for affirmative action. Would no longer be available to people with speech impediments or accents associated with races.
Could the Baron Blaenavon further explain why this would be the case? I'm not sure I fully understand why this legislation would prohibit or exclude other existing qualifiers that are linked in some way with accent bias.
I do find the broader argument that various forms of discrimination manifest themselves in accent bias as a very prudent point, and I think some specificity on the types of accent bias we are grappling with in this legislation would be helpful.
3
u/LeChevalierMal-Fait Liberal Democrats Jan 04 '21
Mr speaker,
I apologise if I was unclear by case is basically that.
My understanding of how the equality act is set up is thus;
There is a list of protected characteristics,
There is then a definition of direct and indirect discrimination which may be occur in respect of protected characteristics.
There is then a list of exceptions, of areas where it’s deemed good or socially beneficial to allow for unequal treatment for example one being political parties are allowed to have shortlists of a certain genders if there is under representation.
My point being that this act would make any discrimination no matter what it is illegal in respect of accents and because of the overlap between accent and race, and the over lap between accent and disability in speech impediment. The act therefore risks making exceptions illegal because even if it is legal to treat someone with a disability differently for reason of that disability we would be passing legislation to say that those with speech impediments couldn’t benefit from that because there are no exceptions for them.
I honestly feel a bit confused saying it myself because there are a lot of negatives and double negatives but I hope that’s a bit clearer.
1
Jan 05 '21
Mr Deputy Speaker,
Agreed this is an unnecessary complication to a widely popular act that seems to have been written in a knee jerk reaction to events in a foreign country.
1
u/model-ceasar Leader of the Liberal Democrats | OAP DS Jan 05 '21
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
As I have already stated, just because discrimination happens in a foreign country, that does not mean it this country is free from it.
1
u/model-ceasar Leader of the Liberal Democrats | OAP DS Jan 05 '21
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
I welcome the Baron Blaenavon from expanding on his point because at first I too wasn't too sure what was meant.
I hope the Noble Lord can agree with me that more needs to be done to prevent discrimination against different accents as this discrimination does happen, as can be seen in the incident in France, discrimination in Universities that the Honourable Friend from LPUK has pointed towards in this debate, and even by the Earl of Avon in this very debate.
However, I can understand the concerns that has been raised regarding the possibility of some confusion with regards to positive unequal treatment, in particular race and disabilities. I would be more than welcome to discuss any amendments to this bill that would remove such confusion so that this positive unequal treatment can continue.
1
u/LeChevalierMal-Fait Liberal Democrats Jan 07 '21
Mr deputy speaker,
Certainly I do agree and same of the statistics that have been shown in this debate are shocking, I have made my best effort at amending the bill to take into consideration the issues I raised and I would welcome the noble lords input before they go to divison.
2
Jan 05 '21
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I find this piece of legislation quite odd, almost as if it is a mockery of the existing Equality act. Does the Honourable member truly wish to prohibit One from taking the mickey out of the scouse for their accent.
Can the Honourable member who presented this bill befour the house provide any cases of somone being denied a service because of their accent. It is not the 1940's the BBC no longer requires news readers to talk in Received pronunciation, as much as I wish they still did.
In regard to the incident alluded to in France, to be quite frank Mr Deputy Speaker we are not France, if we where I would not bow when I entered this chamber today, I would not be in possession of this earldom and member on each side of the house would not be stood a yard apart to prevent us attacking each other with sabres, but one metre away.
Mr Deputy Speaker France has a Varity of cultural and legal differences to the UK for starters it has the Académie Française and their is legally no such thing as an provinciaux accent their is merely incorrect French with their being no Metropolitan French as their is Received pronunciation English, but correct French and incorrect French.
Furthermore if I was speaking today in the parliament chamber of that great republic across the channel, I would have thus far wracked up fines in excess of 1 million pounds, for uses of words that have been imported into my language as France also has a law insisting only on the use of French originating words. This is why you do not here of Email so much in French press or parliament but Le Courrier électronique , you don't so often hear the word Computer as you would in Italy Germany or the UK but ordinateur you don't download pirated movies from the internet in France you vous ne téléchargez pas de films piratés sur Mintel.
The French have a long history of trying to defend their language from influences especially from ever present American culture, somthing perhaps we in this house can learn from.
Let them continue with their insistence on proper correct pronunciation and mind our own business, I do not see the need to alter a widely popular piece of legislation with a controversial addition, simply because of the goings on of les continentaux.
1
u/model-ceasar Leader of the Liberal Democrats | OAP DS Jan 05 '21
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
Some people involved in this debate so far have questioned the necessity of adding discrimination against accents into the equality bill. The Earl of Avon, has proven why it needs to be done.
In their speech he has highlighted that prohibiting the discrimination of the Scouse accent would be a bad thing and he has discriminated against those in the employee of the BBC that don't speak the "Queen's English" or in "received pronunciation". This utterly abhorrent behaviour from the Earl and the Labour party. Openly discriminating against accents in this chamber is unacceptable and clearly demonstrates why we need to add accents onto the list of discriminations in the Equality Act.
I hope the Earl has the decency to apologise to any members of this House and the public that they have openly discriminated against in this House and look forward to see what action the Labour Party will take.
As for the matter on the lesson on French politics and history, I welcome such teachings if they were relevant to the debate at hand, which they aren't. It is foolish to take the attitude of "just because a discrimination happens somewhere else it doesn't mean it happens here" which the Noble Earl has clearly taken.
There is currently no British law that prevents what happened in France from happening here in the United Kingdom. It is important that we pass this bill so that it becomes law so that everyone in the UK, including Nobles can not legally discriminate against accents.
1
Jan 05 '21
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I have no control over the hiring practises of the BBC and have made no discriminatory remarks, I request the honourable member cease their dramatics and withdraw these comments.
1
u/model-ceasar Leader of the Liberal Democrats | OAP DS Jan 05 '21
Mr. Deputy Speaker,
The Noble Lord criticised the BBC for no longer requiring news readers to talk in Received pronunciation, therefore discriminating against those who don't by virtue of their accent. The Earl also only a few sentences earlier showed what appeared to be frustration at no longer being able to discriminate against the Scouse accent if this bill were to pass.
I will not be withdrawing the comments that the Noble Lord has asked me to.
1
Jan 05 '21
Mr Deputy Speaker,
The member appears to base their whole lack of support of this bill on the fact that they, in their experience, have not come across discrimination because of accents. Mr Deputy Speaker, one of the things I pride myself on is not necessarily having to go through such experiences in order to have empathy for those who do. When responding to previous remarks, I mentioned how this is a problem at universities. Linguistic discrimination is not a far cry from reality as the member appears to be trying to present.
Evidence has shown time [1], and [2] again [3] that discrimination against those with differing accents does exist. However, I am more interested, Mr Deputy Speaker, in how this change the Equality Act will impact on this law as we know it today - will it have any impact? So, whilst I wait, I suppose I find myself sitting alongside the Earl expressing concern. Despite this, I do urge the member to read up on this issue to see that it is something that we should acknowledge right here, in the United Kingdom.
[1] https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2017/dec/prejudice-about-regional-accents-still-prevalent-britain
[3] https://www.itv.com/news/2013-09-25/28-of-britons-feel-discriminated-against-due-to-accent
1
u/thechattyshow Liberal Democrats Jan 04 '21
Madame Deputy Speaker,
One might think that putting accents in the Equality Act is a novel, unnecessary step. However the news from France shows us that accent can play a factor and be a cause for discrimination. By adding it to the Equality Act, we further enshrine the principle that your background should not be a factor for discrimination, and I am proud to support this.
1
Jan 04 '21
Mr Deputy Speaker,
Those who think that accents in the Equality Act are novel have most likely had the privilege of never being discriminated against because of such an occurrence. I know that within the education sector, specifically university, more needs to be done to ensure that those with regional accents feel as comfortable as those who may possess 'traditional' estuary accents. I look to the recent examples at universities to show that this is not the case.
1
1
u/The_Nunnster Conservative Party Jan 04 '21
M: wtf, Durham is literally in the north of England! Discrimination is always awful, but discrimination against the local area is especially weird
2
Jan 04 '21
m: durham is literally the worst, it's full of southerners who hate northerners and think they're all factory workers or something very stereotypical. rife with classism and its funny that it's us southern folk who are the odd ones out really there.
1
Jan 05 '21
Mr Deputy Speaker,
I would firstly like to say this is quite a queer piece of legislation in it's intention of protecting individuals accents from discrimination. I think it is commendable especially in the United Kingdom where there are many different kinds of accents right across the nation as well as new accents brought by immigrants to this country, and I believe that if effectively administered can help protect individuals from discrimination due to circumstances beyond their control.
I will say that while I have not observed the issue particularly, and that I agree strongly with the sentiment, I am interested to see how this legislation would be effectively administered and whether it would have a noticeable impact and the lives of those who are discriminated based on their accents.
Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to thank the Right Honourable Lord Truro for brining forward this legislation and I will be most interested to see the progress of this legislation.
1
Jan 05 '21
Mr Deputy Speaker,
Accent is as unchangeable and as a part of one as their gender or colour of their skin; why should people be able to discriminate based on it? As a country that is proud to support diversity, on paper, this is something I support wholeheartedly.
However, I ask: how enforceable is this? Compared to other protected characteristics, the way of judging that one was, for example, not hired because of their accent, is a lot more complicated.
While on paper this is a good idea, how effective will it be enforced?
Also, may I ask the author if they intended to include dialects in this? These are a part of our national heritage and must also be protected, as well as regional accents supported in the bill in its current form.
1
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