HOW does the council plan to protect the most vulnerable when they are failing to comply with Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality duty legislation which ensures equality across nine protected characteristics (age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy/ maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation)?

The executive board may have the power to choose where to spend money but they are not above the law and cannot choose which laws they choose to follow.

It was great to hear logic and sense from the Mayor at the executive meeting, who stood up for the rights of those residents who are protected by equalities legislation and said that if the libraries consultation is not compliant with the legislation, they would need to ‘come back and do it again’. Let’s hope he is a man of his word and follows though with a consultation.

The Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty covers the nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

The Mayor stressed that the public needs to respond to the consultation as individuals and make their thoughts known.

This can be easily done by visiting the SWL website at savewarringtonslibraries.org.

HILARY MOORS Warrington