Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Reform's hate agenda as they unveil Truss mark two shadow team
The paper says that at a press conference in London on Tuesday, Nigel Farage unveiled his party’s top team, appointing Ms Braverman as the party’s education, skills and equalities spokesperson:
Addressing the conference, she said Reform would repeal the Equality Act on day one if it wins the next election, claiming that Britain is being “ripped apart by diversity, equality and inclusion” policies.
The Equality Act 2010 – which replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single act – legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.
The act prevents discrimination against those with protected characteristics, including: age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Ms Braverman described protected characteristics as being “pernicious” and “divisive”.
As well as saying the party would scrap the role of equalities minister – part of her own brief – the MP for Fareham and Waterlooville also attacked the rights of trans young people, saying that “social and gender transitioning will be banned in all schools, no ifs no buts”.
She promised to “bring an end to the transgender chaos in schools”, claiming that children are “taught more about gender ideology than biological fact”.
Her comments have been heavily criticised by equalities charities and lawyers, with Jo Maugham KC, executive director of the Good Law Project, accusing her of “pitching for the votes of misogynists, homophobes, racists and antisemites, who are the only people who benefit from removing discrimination protections”.
He warned that Ms Braverman’s “offhand comments about 'banning social transition' in schools in reality means policing kid's appearances – haircuts, voices, clothing”.
“This is unworkable and, for schools and pupils, has a pretty North Korean flavour,” he added.
Dr Paul Martin OBE, the chief executive of the LGBT Foundation, argued that the Equality Act “isn’t adding to Britain’s challenges – it’s part of the solution”.
“Without it, people would have fewer protections against discrimination in everyday life, from work and healthcare to education and public services,” he warned.
“Equality isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a foundation for a fairer, stronger and healthier Britain.
“The public want a country where no one is denied healthcare because they are disabled or a person of colour, where no one is denied a job because they are LGBTQ+, and where no one is denied access to education because they are pregnant.”
Farage's front bench team includes Braverman and Robert Jenrick, both ministers in a Tory government that wrecked the UK economy under Liz Truss, now members of a party that wants to take her ruinous policies even further than she dared. What could possibly go wrong?
