Concern as UK firms 'rebrand' diversity initiatives to avoid rightwing backlash

Senior figures in British business have described a chilling effect on diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives, saying they are being "rebranded" to avoid attracting unwanted political attention.

- Chris Osuh and Aamna Mohdin

Five years after the murder of George Floyd in the US shone a spotlight on racial inequality, efforts to create a level playing field in the workplace are facing a rightwing backlash on both sides of the Atlantic.

But experts say many organisations are resisting the attacks by reframing policies previously known as DEI in the US, and sometimes EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) in the UK.

Paul Sesay, the founder and chief executive of the National Diversity Awards, whose sponsors include Amazon, Auto Trader and HSBC, said: "It's rebranded to 'wellbeing', 'belonging' and 'culture'. Even with roles, it's no longer heads of DEI, it's heads of culture, heads of people, heads of wellbeing.

"They're basically embedding diversity and getting rid of the word - I don't necessarily see it as a bad thing. When I first started, back in 2003, it was about diversity - and that was the main word - but then, as it progressed, it was inclusion. It's advancing now to culture, transformation, that kind of thing, as culture affects the whole organisation."

In the UK, the Reform party has vowed to scrap DEI initiatives from councils it controls, months after the Trump administration began sacking black public servants and ripping up fairness policies.