Sarah speaking about equal treatment of persons regardless of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation

Speech by Sarah Ludford delivered to European Parliament on Wed 1st Apr 2009

Mr President, it is clearly right that we end the complicated patchwork of laws, with different people protected against discrimination in different situations, in favor of a single equality regime. The woman refused a bank loan, the disabled person refused access to a building, the gay man refused accommodation, a black person barred from a club, and so on should all be protected on the basis of similar principles.

I just want to mention two issues. One concerns protection from harassment. It is rightly made clear in the text that what is barred is the creation of an intimidating environment for an individual, not perceived offence towards a group. It is important to be very firm about the preservation of freedom of speech, which is usefully stressed through a specific mention which is added by the Parliament.

On faith schools, I fully support the right of parents to have their children educated within the principles of a particular faith, so long as that faith itself does not propagate discriminatory and prejudicial attitudes. But we must not condone the creation of ghettoes, where only children of a specified faith are admitted to a school and others are excluded. The Commission text allows discriminatory access and I am not persuaded that Amendment 51 resolves the problem. I will probably vote against both.