The National Policy Forum is coming up. This is an important occasion for the party, allowing CLPs to suggest policies for our next manifesto. At Labour for a Republic, we are determined to make sure that republican ideals are represented within this consultation.
That’s why today, we’re asking all of our members to submit our new motion on Royal workers and the Monarchy’s exemptions from the Equality Act. For more information, please read our press release below:
Those who work for the monarchy are not protected by the Equality Act. The monarchy, astonishingly, used an obscure protocol to exempt itself from the provisions of an Act intended to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, disability and gender identity.
Labour for a Republic is calling on the coming Labour Government to end this exemption. Labour for a Republic’s Campaign Coordinator Ben Clinton said:
“Unfortunately, discrimination still exists in many workplaces and all workers, without exception, should be entitled to the same protections.”
“The royal family employs hundreds of workers in many different roles and there is no justification for these workers to be treated any differently. This in itself is a form of discrimination and is all the more unacceptable because people rightly expect the head of state to set an example.
“As the champion of workers’ rights, the Labour Party should require the head of state and the royal family to be subject to the same anti-discrimination legislation as other employers.”
Labour for a Republic is also challenging politicians and the media to ask the simple question ‘Why?’ Why would the monarchy want to be excluded from legislation that tackles discrimination?
The call comes as the Labour Party commences its consultation with its members on what should be included in Labour’s election manifesto. Labour for a Republic is also encouraging Labour members to make the following submission to Labour’s National Policy Forum which is conducting the consultation:
“Every worker in the UK deserves protection from the Equalities Act. No employer should be free to discriminate on the grounds of race, sexuality, gender or disability, regardless of who that employer is. Labour must take action to ensure that the royal family is subject to the Equality Act and provide these workers with the protection they deserve.”
“We hope that Labour, as a party founded to protect workers, seriously considers this proposal to enshrine royal workers’ rights in law,” said Ben Clinton.
Submitting our motion as part of your CLP or Branch’s policy forum recommendation is very simple, just follow the instructions below:
- Copy and paste the text of this post’s attached PDF and send it to your local CLP Secretary, or, where branches are making a submission, the Branch Secretary.
- Specify that the motion should be included in the submission under the ‘Better jobs and better work’ document at Question 6 (What are the specific implications of policy proposals in this area for (a) women, (b) Black, Asian and minority ethnic people, (c) LGBT+ people, (d) disabled people and (e) all those with other protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010).
- Make sure to do this before March 17th, the day on which NPF submissions close.
- Let us know you’ve submitted it for consideration and tell us if your CLP ultimately passed the motion, or not.
The PDF for the motion can be found below.