Political Thinking with Nick Robinson
May 29, 2026 · 36 min · 15 segments
Chair of the equalities watchdog, Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, on sex and gender, the right to protest, and doing one of the hardest jobs in Britain.
Mary-Ann StephensonGuest
Nick RobinsonHost
Do you see yourself as a sort of police officer, policing equality laws, or are you a change-maker? Are you an advocate, someone pushing for, driving for equality and diversity?
I think one of the important things about the EHRC is that it does have more than one mandate.
So we are a regulator, and it is our duty and responsibility to make sure people understand the law and the law is upheld and, and properly followed.
It's often through providing guidance or working with organizations on a voluntary basis to help them improve their practice.
You know, our role is to promote as well as uphold equality and human rights, and so that means making the case, explaining to people why it's important, and not assuming that we live in a little bubble where everyone agrees with us, but actually going out there and, and showing how this makes a real difference to people's lives.
Trevor Phillips, who used to do your job, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, says it's the fourth hardest job in public life.
Uh, he, he, in fact, he had Home Secretary and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
I think, you know, these jobs can be difficult and, you know, there are difficult and complex situations which are not straightforward, and we are in a world increasingly which likes to reduce those issues to straightforward yes/no answers.
Do you see yourself as a sort of police officer, policing equality laws, or are you a change-maker? Are you an advocate, someone pushing for, driving for equality and diversity?
I think one of the important things about the EHRC is that it does have more than one mandate.
So we are a regulator, and it is our duty and responsibility to make sure people understand the law and the law is upheld and, and properly followed.
It's often through providing guidance or working with organizations on a voluntary basis to help them improve their practice.
You know, our role is to promote as well as uphold equality and human rights, and so that means making the case, explaining to people why it's important, and not assuming that we live in a little bubble where everyone agrees with us, but actually going out there and, and showing how this makes a real difference to people's lives.
Trevor Phillips, who used to do your job, Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, says it's the fourth hardest job in public life.
Uh, he, he, in fact, he had Home Secretary and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
I think, you know, these jobs can be difficult and, you know, there are difficult and complex situations which are not straightforward, and we are in a world increasingly which likes to reduce those issues to straightforward yes/no answers.
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