More than half of UK businesses changing DEI approach due to Trump’s criticism

Leading UK organisations reacting to pushback against diversity initiatives in the US by reviewing or even scrapping policies

More than half of UK businesses are changing the way they approach ethical policies and practices because of the Trump administration’s criticism of the “woke” agenda, research suggests.

Interviews with 250 general counsels and chief legal officers at leading UK organisations found that they are reacting to the pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the US by reviewing – and in some cases scrapping – policies.

In the US, black public servants have been sacked and measures attempting to tackle racial inequality have been labelled “discriminatory” by the Department of Justice.

Following in the Trump administration’s footsteps, the Reform party has vowed to scrap DEI initiatives from councils it controls in the UK while the Blue Labour group has urged ministers to “root out DEI” to counter the threat posed by Nigel Farage’s party.