A York MP has called for discounted prices for older members of sports clubs to be protected.Oh? And what, pray tell, threatens them?
Hugh Bayley, who represents York Central, has written to the Minister for Women and Equalities, Theresa May, urging her to ensure a loophole in legislation does not lead to pensioners being discriminated against.We’ve enacted legislation that discriminates against people? Surely not, I mean, Dave has only been in power for…
Ah:
Parts of the Equality Act which related to age-related discounts have been postponed until 2012, and Mr Bayley said he feared unless the laws were amended, clubs would be unable to provide such concessions and older people could miss out on sporting activities.Fantastic! This, Hugh, is a lesson in unforeseen consequences.
Of course if you bring in badly-drawn-up, sloppy legislation designed to assuage the grievances of a few feminist nutjobs and racemongers, what do you expect?
He said: “Exercise is extremely important for the health and wellbeing of older people, many of whom are retired and have less disposable income.Well, Hugh, since the Equalities Act was the brainchild of dear Harriet, and since you’re a Labour MP, perhaps you should have thought about that beforehand and had a little word in her ear, eh?
“If the Equality Act prohibits older members of sports clubs from being offered reduced subscription rates, there is a danger older people will not be able to afford to exercise. This will have a bad impact on their health.”
5 comments:
Any discount or facility offered to one group of people is automatically an excess or additional charge which discriminates against others.
That's not an 'unintended consequence' but a description of any targeted discount or facility.
I shall be interested to discover how they will deal with mother and toddler parking places, free prescriptions for the over 60s and all other such things
Frankly the government were nuts to enact the Act at all ... what WERE they thinking of?
Since discrimination in it's broadest sense is a vital part of human interaction this act makes almost any activity potentially illegal. I know our overlords are not very bright but I thought even the dimmest amongst them could recognise such an obvious elephant trap before they walked into it.
I'm all for equality, so long as they don't take my Freedom Pass off me!
As I approach 3 score years and 10 I get my exercise from walking into town and back. 4 miles approx. and it doesn't cost a penny. Okay the shoes do wear out. What is fair, surely one mans meat is another mans poison.
"I shall be interested to discover how they will deal with mother and toddler parking places, free prescriptions for the over 60s and all other such things"
Me too!
"Frankly the government were nuts to enact the Act at all ... what WERE they thinking of?"
Maybe they really aren't as bright as we assumed?
"I'm all for equality, so long as they don't take my Freedom Pass off me!"
Oh, but I bet someone does indeed challenge that policy! It's only a matter of time...
"What is fair, surely one mans meat is another mans poison."
I can see the sense in granting some subsidies as part of a social contract. It's always up to competing interests, of course, to fight over just what those subsidies should be...
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