Greens express bitter disappointment over council withdrawal from Stonewall Equality Index.
Brighton & Hove Greens have voiced their “disappointment” with the Labour administrations decision not to join the Stonewall Equality Index this year.
Brighton & Hove City Council, has been part of the index since it started in 2005, and has regularly been accessed as the top performing local authority in its commitment to LGBT-equality. However, in 2014 the council fell out of the top 100 for the first time, reaching only 104 in the annual index. In 2015 the Green-led council re-entered the index at number 12 after previously rising to number 3 in 2009 under a Conservative administration.
The index is a benchmark of good progress which has helped the Council to measure its performance annually on LGBT-equality. It is free to enter with the only resources required being staff time to complete the application and ensure standards are being met.
Stonewall, say the scheme is “designed to challenge” and provides “a strategic framework for employers” to support them to create an inclusive workplace. Research has shown that employees from organisations ranked in Stonewall’s Top 100 exhibited higher levels of staff satisfaction and loyalty.
The Labour Council say that the Stonewall process would have required “considerable resources”, and have said rather than entering the scheme, they have chosen to “access themselves”, using the Local Government Association (LGA) Equality Framework for Local Government.
Green Councillor and Convener of the Green group Phélim Mac Cafferty, said: “The Stonewall index has been a vital tool in driving up the Council’s standards on LGBT equality, challenging us to continually improve. Whenever performance has dropped, the index has alerted us to the fact and allowed us to refocus our efforts. I’m really concerned that by failing to participate in the scheme for the first time since it began in 2005, our performance could drop dramatically. Without a rigorous process to follow, there is a danger that we could become complacent and fail to deliver on LGBT equality”.
“Under the Green administration, the council made huge strides forward on equality for the trans community. In multiple years we were voted the top council in the country on the Stonewall Equality Index. Twice – in 2012 and in 2014 – the city Council won the Stonewall Education Equality Award as the leading council combating homophobia in the classroom. Our ongoing commitment to LGBT equality was the right thing to do, and makes financial sense as a more inclusive city council means a happier, more diverse and more productive workforce which reflects the people we serve. Labour’s removal from the Index is a real set-back to that hard work.
“In 2014 Labour leader Warren Morgan told us that “A Labour council will work to restore our position and reputation as an LGBT employer from day one”. Now it seems that while talk is cheap, real action is lacking. How can we restore our position if we don’t even enter? Self-regulation and monitoring using light-touch schemes simply won’t cut it – we need to be challenged to adhere to the highest standards and show we are truly committed to LGBT equality”.
Responding for the Labour administration, Cllr Emma Daniels, Chair of the council’s neighbourhoods, communities and equalities committee, said: “We are still doing all the very positive things that led to Stonewall naming us the top council in their employer index last year, and we remain supportive of the excellent work they do. However, our equalities remit extends well beyond the LGBT workforce issues they focus on. We are equally focused on black and minority ethnic, disability and gender issues and fair and accessible service delivery.
“The national Equality Framework for Local Government accesses all of these areas. It also gives us the chance to learn from best practice elsewhere.
“We will be assessed under the EFLG later this year. Gathering the evidence and completing the paperwork for this exercise takes up a considerable amount of staff time.
“Rather than duplicating a lot of this with a separate evaluation by Stonewall, we consider focusing exclusively on the EFLG to be the best use of limited resources and the best way of demonstrating our progress and achievements in all aspects of equalities.
“We have also now joined The LGBT International Rainbow Cities Network, which helps cities improve the quality of life of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans residents of all ages.
“This gives us the chance to learn from best practice in other cities around the world, and also share our own expertise.”
This expertise includes Trans ‘toolkits’ that have been developed by staff over the last two years to improve our work as an employer for Trans people and make the most of our diverse and talented workforce.
“Our aspiration is that no child’s education or childhood is harmed because of their gender identity.
She continued: “An EU study of 92,000 LGBT citizens found that across Europe two third of respondents hid the fact that they are LGBT while at school. I find this statistic really upsetting.
“The gender identity of our children and young people should not prevent them from feeling safe at school and making friends.
“Our schools have full access to a toolkit developed in partnership with local LGBT youth charity Allsorts. We actively encourage all our schools to make use of this resource and we feel confident they share this aim.
“Our work in this area has cross-party support, and it’s important we lead by example. We are grateful to the representatives of the Trans community who have been voluntarily helping us to improve and refine the toolkits.
“I am proud that in this country Parliament is taking this issue seriously and that as city leaders we are as well.
“We remain committed to Stonewall and we understand they will be reviewing their questions and scoring to include scoring on trans employment practice in 2017 which we welcome”
Peter Kyle the Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, added: “It’s really important that organisations like our local council put their commitment to diversity to the test so that we can judge them against others and see progress over time. The council has chosen to join a new diversity index and the LGA has a good track record in measuring council performance. The key thing now is to stick with it so we can judge their performance over time and be reassured that it’s going in the right direction.”
Simon Kirby the Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven, said: “I am very pleased that Sussex Police appear on the Stonewall Equality Index this year. Congratulations to everyone involved! It’s disappointing that the Council have withdrawn. I hope they will reconsider joining next year.”
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