It is ironic that just as the Archbishop of Canterbury accuses the UK government of regarding religion as irrelevant (Report, 12 December), the European Commission is having to crack down on the wide latitude this same government has given to faith organisations to discriminate against gay employees in breach of EU law. (UK 'failing to protect workers from discrimination', claims Europe, 14 December).
I have been campaigning on this issue for a decade, since I was first an MEP, when the legislation was in discussion by EU governments and the looming breach foreseeable and foreseen. I have been pressing the Commission with increasing urgency over the last few years to take action, as the UK implementation so obviously permitted the continuation of gross discrimination even beyond the already generous limits of the legal text . Quite how this breach has escaped the notice of Harriet Harman is beyond me.
EU governments denied MEPs the equal power over anti-discrimination legislation that we have over other laws. They in fact knew we would not permit the large loophole they gave themselves to indulge the religious prejudice of church schools etc against not only LGBT staff but also those of another faith.
It is dismaying to see the UK threatened with infringement proceedings, as it is an indication of failure, and of legal harm to individuals or businesses through non-implementation of rights, which should and could have been avoided. But in the context the European Commission's use of its watchdog powers is thoroughly welcome.
Yours sincerely,
Sarah Ludford MEP
(Letter printed in The Guardian on 15 December 2009.)
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