Liz Truss urges official withdrawal from Stonewall diversity scheme

Liz Truss, the equalities minister, is pushing for all government departments to withdraw from Stonewall’s employment scheme following a row over transgender rights.

Truss, also the international trade secretary, has told officials that she believes that government bodies should withdraw from the diversity champions scheme run by the equality group.

Several organisations and bodies, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the employment dispute service Acas, have both withdrawn “for cost reasons”. A source close to Truss said she shared the concerns raised by the EHRC over the scheme’s value for money, particularly as the civil service has its own in-house workplace diversity programme.

The Times understands that responsibility for co-ordinating participation in the scheme rests with the Cabinet Office. The scheme counts 250 government departments and public bodies among its 850 members, which pay for guidance on issues such as pronouns and gender-neutral spaces.

Stonewall says the scheme is “the leading employers’ programme for ensuring all LGBT staff are accepted without exception in the workplace”. Nancy Kelley, its chief executive, came under fire at the weekend for likening “gender-critical” beliefs to antisemitism. Lady Falkner, the EHRC’s new chairwoman, has said that women have the right to question transgender identity without being abused, stigmatised or put at risk of losing their jobs.

Kelley said that although Stonewall believed in freedom of speech it was “not without limit”. She told the BBC: “With all beliefs, including controversial beliefs, there is a right to express those beliefs publicly and where they’re harmful or damaging — whether it’s antisemitic beliefs, gender-critical beliefs, beliefs about disability — we have legal systems that are put in place for people who are harmed by that.”

Several bodies, including the House of Commons and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, have withdrawn from the scheme in recent weeks. The Crown Prosecution Service has said that it is reviewing its membership.

Participants in the scheme are ranked on a workplace equality index. Among its top employers last year were Newcastle city council, the Ministry of Justice, GlaxoSmithKline, Citi Banking Group and the Welsh government.

Essex University, another member of the diversity champion scheme, apologised this month for dropping two speakers after they were accused of transphobia. The university published an independent report that concluded that Stonewall had provided officials with misleading and potentially illegal advice. The report expressed concern that Stonewall had misrepresented the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to suggest that the legislation included “gender identity”. Academics have claimed that the alleged misrepresentation has resulted in speakers being prevented from debating trans rights.

Speaking to the BBC, Kelley denied having provided the university with incorrect advice. She said that Stonewall had had nothing to do with the university’s process for deciding external speakers and was “really confident” in its legal advice.

In an interview with The Times this month, Falkner said that it was “entirely reasonable” for people to challenge the biological status of women who were born as men. She said it was a “freedom of belief” that the commission was determined to protect.

Stonewall said: “All employers need to ensure that their staff, including LGBTQ+ staff, are free from discrimination and prejudice at work but it is up to them how they meet this statutory requirement. Since we set up the diversity champions programme in 2001 many large employers have developed major internal programmes to promote diversity and inclusion across their staff.”

Stonewall earns millions of pounds a year from its “diversity champions” scheme, a training programme pitched to companies, public bodies and charities (Jonathan Ames writes).

The gay rights campaigning body, which was launched in the UK 32 years ago, markets the scheme as “the leading employers’ programme for ensuring all LGBTQ+ staff are free to be themselves in the workplace”.

It is understood from those with knowledge of the scheme that fees start at about £2,500.

The organisation’s financial statement for 2019 showed that fee income from the scheme — combined with that from its “global founding partners programme” and its “school champions” and “education champions” schemes — was £3.27 million, a 20 per cent increase over the previous year’s income from those ventures.

Stonewall markets the diversity champions scheme by telling employers that membership will provide them with support in qualifying for the organisation’s workplace equality index, “the definitive benchmarking tool for employers to measure their progress on lesbian, gay, bi and trans inclusion in the workplace”.

Employers are also told that becoming diversity champions will boost their recruitment performance.

Stonewall’s online promotion argues that “a diverse workforce creates diversity of thought, action and innovation. But in a competitive market, your workplace and culture needs to stand out to jobseekers.”

Members are listed on Stonewall’s “proud employers careers site”, which is described as an “LGBTQ-inclusive jobs board, enabling you to attract diverse talent and position your organisation as an inclusive employer of choice”.