NHS agency stonewalls on charity links

It has not been a good year for gay rights charity Stonewall. Last month founding member Matthew Parris accused the organisation of trying to delegitimise anyone who did not agree with its views after a free speech row at Essex University. Stonewall was alleged to have misrepresented the law in its advice to the institution with barrister Akua Reindorf warning of ‘potential illegalities’ and suggesting the university should reconsider its ties to the campaigning group. 

Now it is reported that the Ministry of Justice is preparing to leave Stonewall’s diversity scheme as part of an ‘exodus’ of government departments severing ties. The reasons for such a move are said to be concerns about Stonewall’s ‘dubious’ training and approach to free speech with one MoJ source quoted in the Telegraph as arguing: ‘we really shouldn’t be paying thousands of pounds for controversial advice about pronouns and gender-neutral spaces.’ Amid a deluge of critical press, it can be little surprise that the LGBT+ charity is currently seeking