Wandsworth
Liberal Democrats

As of February 2023

Equalities and civil liberties

Everyone should feel respected and be free from discrimination

Key Policies

  • Increase the severity of hate crimes so the legal system takes the harms caused in our modern digital lives more seriously.
  • Finish the job of gender equality by making sure equally qualified and capable women are paid the same as men and are fully considered within the workplace.
  • Oppose and reverse laws that reduce people's right to protest.
  • Take a human approach to gender issues by allowing people to indicate their identity to others.
  • Work to cut back on injustice by tackling laws and policies that hurt specific groups.
Lynne Featherstone addressing crowds at the marriage equality celebration rally.
LGBT+

10 years of celebrating love

Today marks a monumental milestone in our journey towards equality as we commemorate ten years of same-sex marriages in England and Wales.

29 Mar 2024
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Everyone should be able to make the most of who they are, free from discrimination or state intrusion. Equality and diversity should be a fundamental part of our society where everyone's rights are respected and protected.

Unfortunately, Britain still has some way to go to achieve equality across society and ensure that our civil liberties take precedence over more immediate concerns.

While there is growing representation of all groups at important levels in society, and the recognition of people's fundamental humanity through changes like gay marriage, in many cases society continues to discriminate against people for who they are, what they look like, or what they believe in - even when that belief is that they should receive a fair wage for their work.

Solutions

Here is how we propose to make the UK a safer, fairer and more inclusive society:

Legal changes 

  • We will make hate crimes "aggravated" offenses which will give them greater prominence within the legal system and automatically lead to expanded training on how to prevent them, as well as greater resources in tackling them. Hate crimes, including anti-Seimitism and Islamophobia, have exploded in recent years as digital technology has made it easier and individuals less accountable. We need to account for this new reality. 
  • We will make misogyny - the abuse and targeting of women - a hate crime. The internet has enabled worrying levels of threats of violence to be directed at women, making them feel unsafe and all too often spilling into the real world. We need to ensure that everyone in society feels safe from harm.
  • Abolish or change unfair laws and policies such as the Hostile Environment rules that the Conservative imposed, withdrew and currently seek to reimpose, the unfair use of Stop and Search laws, new laws against the right to protest, and a variety of other efforts to fix issues but which end up discriminating against specific groups.

Defend rights

  • We will finish the job of gender equality by closing the gender pay gap. Men and women of equal ability and skill must be paid equally
  • Champion the Human Rights Act and defend the European Convention on Human Rights, which are both under attack
  • Support people of all sexualities and those that wish to identify as a different gender. We will continue to fight against laws across the world that make homosexuality illegal, and push for the introduction of an "X" gender option in passports so people can gain legal recognition of their gender identity.
  • Draw up and push new diversity targets so that public institutions more closely reflect those that they seek to serve.
  • Tackle modern slavery and human trafficking by pushing for greater and more active enforcement of existing standards.
  • Challenge new and existing law and policies that work against equality and civil liberties, such as changes to voting rules, reproductive rights and conversion therapy.

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