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Under-fire equalities chief Trevor Phillips agrees to dilute his powers
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor11.08.09
Embattled equalities chief Trevor Phillips is to give up some of his powers after heavy criticism of his leadership, it emerged today.
The chairman of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission has agreed to restructure the super-quango to appoint a senior figure to lead each area of its activities, including gay rights, disability, race and sexual equality.
One option being discussed is a series of powerful figureheads who would each become the national voice on their issues, diluting Mr Phillips's power considerably. At the moment, he speaks for the commission on all equality issues.
The EHRC was created only three years ago to bring together the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission in a single body.
With an annual budget of £70million, the EHRC was also given responsibility on gay rights, age discrimination and human rights.
But Mr Phillips's style of leadership triggered the resignation of six of the body's 17 commissioners this year, mostly in the past month after he was reappointed for another three years.
Critics say he is high-handed, bouncing senior staff into decisions without consulting them, and that there may have been financial irregularities.
Last month the National Audit Office refused to sign off the commission's accounts because consultancy contracts had been offered to seven of Mr Phillips's former colleagues from the Commission for Racial Equality, even though they had just been made redundant.
Mr Phillips may have survived for the present, but he has been ordered by Harriet Harman, the Equalities Minister, to sort matters out.
"We put it all into a melting pot, when in fact it needs to be distinct strands," she said. "I think the model was not one that was likely to succeed, and it hasn't."
Reader views (4)
If he had any honour he would step down; But absolute power corrupts absolutely.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
He could dilute them all the way to zero - that might work.
- Rogan, Irving
should be closed downsave us the cash for a dept that is racel its self aganist white working class people
this guy is a joke on a big salary
- Terry Chambers, London
He should step down. The bloke is a disgrace.
- Mark, South-East London
