Jason Arday’s death demonstrates yet again racism has not disappeared from British society. It has changed its language and sometimes its clothes.
Category: UK Politics
Freedom, Inclusion, and Solidarity – a statement of my political beliefs
I have spent much time this year thinking about politics and have dedicated a number of my blog posts to examining current affairs in the United Kingdom and globally. As well as providing commentary on issues that are in the news and about which I care deeply, I have also dedicated some time to reflect… Continue reading Freedom, Inclusion, and Solidarity – a statement of my political beliefs
Women’s Sport is rising. Now the rest of us must raise our game
It is time to recognise that the threats to women’s sport are invisibility, underinvestment, inequality, abuse, and exclusion from power (and not trans people’s participation). As the City of London’s Lead Member for Sport I spent 24-hours this week at the Global Summit on Women & Sport in Birmingham, which the City was proud to… Continue reading Women’s Sport is rising. Now the rest of us must raise our game
Ten years after the Brexit vote, the UK’s future belongs back in Europe
Ten years after the referendum, Britain is poorer, less influential, and less connected than it might have been. The time has come to make the case for re-joining the European Union. A night I will never forget Ten years ago this morning Britain awoke to a changed political landscape and a weakened place in the… Continue reading Ten years after the Brexit vote, the UK’s future belongs back in Europe
Pride matters more than ever
Every year, around this time, somebody asks whether Pride is still necessary. It is a question that usually comes from one of two places. Sometimes it is asked in good faith by people who look around them and see same-sex marriage, openly LGBTQ+ public figures, rainbow lanyards in workplaces, and Pride flags flying above civic… Continue reading Pride matters more than ever
Kemi Badenoch is wrong about the Public Sector Equality Duty
There are many legitimate debates to be had about how government works. How much regulation is too much? How should public services balance competing demands? When does process become bureaucracy? These are all fair questions. What is not a serious contribution to that debate is Kemi Badenoch’s latest attack on the Public Sector Equality Duty… Continue reading Kemi Badenoch is wrong about the Public Sector Equality Duty
Fear, Fracture, and the Future of Britain
There are moments in politics when an election result is more than an electoral event. It becomes a warning light. This week’s local election results across England, alongside contests in Scotland and Wales, feel like one of those moments. Not because voters should somehow be criticised for expressing frustration. Democracy means precisely that citizens are… Continue reading Fear, Fracture, and the Future of Britain
Courts and Tribunals Bill: Justice must not be a casualty of convenience
Yesterday’s debate in the House of Commons on the Courts and Tribunals Bill has prompted significant concern among those who care deeply about the integrity of our criminal justice system. Having served for more than twenty-three years as a Justice of the Peace in London, including eighteen years as a Presiding Justice in some of… Continue reading Courts and Tribunals Bill: Justice must not be a casualty of convenience
Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
There is currently a great deal of noise, heat, and misinformation about what the law requires when it comes to trans inclusion in single-sex services and organisations. Much of it is being driven by a highly organised and aggressive campaign by Sex Matters, which has taken to threatening legal action against a wide range of… Continue reading Trans inclusion: what the law says and what it does not say
Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
This morning’s High Court judgment refusing the judicial review application brought by Sex Matters against the City of London Corporation is an important moment for common sense, good governance, and decency. At the same time, the publication of the Corporation’s consultation on future access to the Hampstead Heath bathing ponds tells a powerful and hopeful… Continue reading Hampstead Heath Ponds: A clear Judgment. A clear voice from London. And a clear path forward.
C. E. Lord OBE 