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The Price Of Progress
From The Edges Edition 11
We go to the edges to find the stories that matter
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There may be progress, but there is often a price to pay. And that price is often charged unequally. For Angela Rayner, class and gender stereotypes sharpen every criticism, while her male peers escape with lighter scrutiny. Publications amplifying marginalised voices lose advertisers, and their survival is made precarious. A political leader cannot even take his family on holiday without facing racist abuse, while footballer Jess Carter endures racism that has already led to a second arrest.
Beyond these individual stories, the theme continues. Employers are left uncertain about the future of the Access to Work scheme, while the Equality and Human Rights Commission steps in with guidance following the Supreme Court’s ruling on transgender rights. Lush closes all its stores in protest at the starvation in Gaza, reminding us that businesses cannot remain neutral in the face of injustice. At the same time, fears grow over the new Employment Rights Bill, Lloyds sacks 3000 staff for underperformance, and a Sanex campaign falls into old stereotypes on their product design.
We always look for glimmers of hope, too. And we found one. A nurse from Zimbabwe feels safe because her employer has made zero tolerance of racism a clear priority.
We scan the news to the edges to find the stories that matter. There are stories we can learn from where errors have been made, and those stories that give us hope through progress made. We are finding so many stories to share that the news is now extended! If you think someone else will enjoy this email, please forward it to them.
And if you spot a story you think we should share, email us at hello@edgeofdifference.com
Stories from the edges this week...

Angela Rayner And The Struggles For Working-Class Women
We looked carefully to pick a new story about Angela Rayner this week. As Deputy Prime Minister, she has faced challenging press coverage throughout her career. She was a single mother who had a child at 16, and she worked her way up through her work and through the Trade Unions. And she has now stepped down after failing to pay the correct amount of stamp duty. Yet Nigel Farage, from the Reform Party, has admitted he made a mistake in saying he bought a home in his Clacton constituency, when it was actually bought by his partner. Had he bought the house, he would have been liable for additional tax as his second home. Angela Rayner has faced criticism for things like going to the Opera in Glyndebourne, the outfits she wears, and her accent, to name a few of the attacks against her. Have the male MPs faced the same types of criticisms?
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Publications Aimed At Marginalised Groups Pull Advertising
Publications aimed at diverse audiences are facing discrimination. After the attacks on work on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the USA, Gay Times has reported that they have lost 80% of advertisers in the past year. Nafisa Bakkar, the co-founder of Amaliah, a publication aimed at amplifying the voices of Muslim women, says there has been a change in mood from advertisers. With similar reports from a youth platform, GUAP, and other publications. For advertisers who want to reach different people, these decisions to pull advertising seem short-sighted. Consumers will be watching, and publications will be considering who they want to work with in the future. Decisions like these have long-term impacts that brands need to consider when they are making decisions. These might seem like quick decisions to make, but they have impacts.
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Sanex shower gel ad banned over racial stereotype
Showing black skin as cracked and white skin as smooth in advertising shows us that Sanex has work to do on its shower gel advertising. The Advertising Standards Authority upheld two complaints against them. It was ruled that the ad breached the broadcast code and was banned from being shown again in the same format. Sanex has said they have taken note of the ruling, and their intention was to show healthy skin across all skin types. We wonder who was involved in reviewing the advert before it was featured?
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Green Party Deputy Leader Racially Abused on Holiday
Mothin Ali, the new Deputy Leader of the Green Party, was with his family on holiday in Norfolk when they were attacked. People threw beer bottles at them and shouted at them to 'get out of our country'. Mr Ali, who was born in Yorkshire, was enjoying a family holiday when this happened. After a summer of racist rhetoric and flags being raised to incite racism, this is what people of colour have been fearing: That the country is not a safe place to be.
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Employers Uncertain About Access To Work Scheme
The government has sought guidance about the Access To Work scheme, which is causing uncertainty. Employers need to pay attention to any planned changes to support people who use the scheme. The scheme helps people to work and is vital to people with disabilities and to employers who are serious about inclusion.
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Equalities watchdog submits formal guidance after UK supreme court transgender ruling
The Equalities watchdog has submitted formal guidance for institutions to respond to the Supreme Court ruling. They admit it will be difficult to find workable policies. This has alarmed many institutions and transgender people
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Lush closes all its UK stores in protest over starvation in Gaza
The brand Lush closed all stores in protest at the starvation in Gaza. This was estimated to cost them £300,000. Many brands stay away from political actions. This decision by Lush clearly shows their stance and shows those loyal to the brand what they stand for. The company has a history of taking a stance on political issues.,
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Nurse From Zimbabwe Feels Supported By Employer
In positive news, a hospital nurse from Zimbabwe says that she feels protected by her employer. In a hospital where 15% of employees are from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds, this is positive news. She does see overt racism on the streets, but says that at work, there is zero tolerance of racism. The NHS has had support for overseas workers as a priority in response to their employee survey.
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If progress always comes at a price, then who keeps paying the bill? There are choices to make. Unless leaders are willing to confront bias, protect the vulnerable, and share power fairly, the price of progress will keep falling on the same shoulders. Progress without fairness is just another form of control.
These are the stories we found this week. And if you spot a story you think we should share, email us at hello@edgeofdifference.com
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Did any of this week's stories get you thinking about actions you need to take? We're here to help! We have some great programmes to help you take action. Book a call with us and we can talk you through our programmes and options.
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