CPS exits ‘Stonewall Champion’ scheme

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has withdrawn from Stonewall’s controversial ‘diversity scheme’, the BBC has revealed.

Its decision to end its membership of Stonewall’s ‘Diversity Champions’ programme was announced by BBC correspondent John McManus.

The CPS is the latest in a growing list of high profile public bodies to leave the lobby group’s flagship scheme, which rewards employers for promoting LGBT ideology inside and outside of the workplace.

‘Contentious’

McManus tweeted: “The Crown Prosecution Service
@CPSUK has told me that it has ended its membership of the Diversity Champions scheme run by the LGBT charity @stonewalluk.”

The journalist reported a CPS spokesperson saying: “We have carried out a review of Stonewall’s Diversity Scheme and have decided to end our membership”.

Speaking on BBC News, McManus explained that some of the advice offered by Stonewall under the scheme was “contentious” – including the use of toilets by members of the opposite sex and how to deal with using someone’s preferred pronouns.

McManus noted that CPS had recently been taken to court over its membership of the scheme. A 14-year-old girl had taken legal action over the public body’s alleged pro-transgender bias.

Departures

In August, Ofcom withdrew from the same scheme after accepting that its involvement might pose “a conflict or risk of perceived bias”.

Other high-profile public bodies that have already left the scheme include the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency and the employment dispute service ACAS.

Government departments have been advised by Liz Truss, the Minister for Women and Equalities, to end their participation in the ‘diversity’ programme.