Press release -

NUS CONDEMNS PM’S ATTACK ON EQUALITIES

The National Union of Students (NUS) today criticised a speech by Prime Minister David Cameron to the CBI in which he said that the government would end "equality impact assessments", which he described as “bureaucratic nonsense”.

Officers representing the NUS campaigns for Black, LGBT, disabled and women students all expressed their profound opposition to the proposal, which would dramatically undermine efforts at ensuring equal rights for all.

Thousands of students are expected to march through London this Wednesday 21 November to raise concerns with Government reforms to further and higher education, and the wider reforms which are acting to undermine opportunities for so many.

Kelley Temple, NUS Women’s Officer said:

“These proposals are reflective of a government attitude which is at best incompetent in understanding the impact so many of their decisions have on women’s lives, and at worst intentionally attempting to disguise the harm which bad Government and business decisions have on women.

“Critical analysis through equality impact assessments are a key tool in preventing harmful policy consequences, which can mean the difference between a women entering into education or not.

“Charging ahead with eyes closed is a foolish way of conducting business and only serves to harm women who have the least means to protect themselves from bad decision making.”

Hannah Paterson, NUS Disabled Students’ Officer said:

"Equality impact assessments are critical to ensuring that the impacts of new policies on some of the most vulnerable members of society are properly investigated.

“It is clear that many government policies are hitting disabled people particularly hard, and many equality impact assessments have highlighted these impacts. The EIA provides disabled people with a means to ensure that the government assess and research the impact of policies decisions at the time, rather than forcing disabled people to challenge the decision once it has already been implemented."

Finn McGoldrick, NUS LGBT Officer (Women’s Place) and Sky Yarlett, NUS LGBT Officer (Open Place) said:

“This government’s view of equality impact assessments as ‘unnecessary bureaucracy’ shows just how little they value equality and diversity. EIA’s have proven essential in tackling discrimination against LGBT people, to move responsibility for tackling discrimination away from the government and onto LGBT people is disgraceful.

“LGBT representation in public life is already woefully inadequate, and this is a further unnecessary blow from a lazy government initiative to cut costs at the expensive of those who need protection most. “

Aaron Kiely, NUS Black students’ officer said:

"Any move to scrap equality impact assessments will have a hugely damaging effect on Black communities as EIAs have often highlighted disproportionate impacts on Black people of many policies. If we are to build a society in which everyone is valued and in which inequality is ended, this is a step in the completely wrong direction."

Topics

  • Education

Categories

  • national union of students
  • nus
  • social mobility

Regions

  • England

NUS (National Union of Students) is a voluntary membership organisation which makes a real difference to the lives of students and its member students' unions.

We are a confederation of 600 students' unions, amounting to more than 95 per cent of all higher and further education unions in the UK. Through our member students' unions, we represent the interests of more than seven million students.

Contacts

Will Hoyles

Press contact NUS UK Press Officer 07866 695010

Alex Jones

Press contact Press and Public Affairs Manager

Mike Heffron

Press contact NUS Scotland Campaigns and Communications Officer 07554 451941

Joni Alexander

Press contact NUS Wales Campaigns and Communications Officer 07966 102363

Ian Williamson

Press contact NUS-USI (Northern Ireland) Policy and Public Affairs Officer 028 9024 4641

NUS UK Switchboard

Press contact 0845 5210 262

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