Details
This Future Governance Forum report calls for major reforms to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which has been at the centre of recent contentious political debates.
The report identifies identity based conflict, austerity cuts and perceptions of political bias as the source of recent difficulties experienced by the EHRC.
The report’s recommendations for the EHRC include:
- Remaining politically neutral but not passive, and leading public debates in sensitive areas within its remit.
- Returning to its more outward facing role and making greater use of its powers to collaborate with regulators in the housing, welfare and health sectors, where human rights concerns often go unaddressed.
- Shifting its focus away from reactive enforcement and towards proactive norm-setting, with improved use of evidence and enhanced strategic litigation.
The report’s recommendations for the Government include:
- Give the EHRC multi-year budgets rather than annual budgets.
- Consider giving parliamentary committees more of a lead role in the appointment of future chairs of the EHRC, including through a binding or advisory veto (as has been proposed for other constitutional bodies).
This report drew on an all-day workshop and interviews with a range of experts in 2025. This research was funded by the Baring Foundation.