Francis Maude should abolish the antiquated and intrusive Equality and Human Rights Commission now

By Matthew Barrett
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Earlier this month, Baroness (Onora) O'Neill of Bengarve was appointed the next Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). Welcoming the appointment, Maria Miller, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport – and, since the reshuffle, also the Minister for Women and Equalities –  said:

"This is a really important time for the EHRC – strong leadership is vital and the new Chair will play a crucial role in ensuring that it remains the valued and respected national institution it was always intended to be. I warmly commend Baroness Onora O’Neill to the Committee for this role."

I'm afraid to say that the EHRC is far from being a "valued and respected national institution". For the majority of people, it would symbolise much of what was wrong about Labour's social wrecking project.

Before examining what the EHRC does, let's consider who its "commissioners" are. This is important because one can often predict the decisions, reports, and so on, of even the most innocuous or seemingly powerless public body if you first note who sits on it.