Contaminated blood scandal: Wigan councillor, whose dad was infected, strikes new blow against prejudice

Paula Wakefield has spoken of how the discrimination her family faced during her formative years has been a driving force behind the move.

The proposal for the town hall to add “socio-economic disadvantage” to a list of protected characteristics was signed off last week. It will help those from a working-class background in the borough, the council’s lead member for equalities said.

Coun Wakefield said her family suffered hardship following her father’s death in 1993. The Astley Mosley Common representative added: “I’m really proud as a council that we’re taking this on – improving life chances for people no matter what their background is.”

Equality Act legislation requires authorities to take age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation into account when making decisions. It ensures those with the above characteristics are not unfairly affected by council decisions.

Wigan Council additionally considers any impact on carers and armed forces personnel in its equality impact assessments. Socio-economic disadvantage will therefore become the third additional characteristic.

Coun Wakefield’s father, Russell Carbery, died aged 39 when she was 13. He had contracted HIV and hepatitis B and C from an infected blood product given for his haemophilia.

He was one of thousands to have passed away and the councillor has been involved in campaigns for a full public inquiry into the scandal.

She said: “When I was growing up, I saw the inequality and discrimination that he faced. And then after he died, I was in a single parent family and saw the difference from when we had two incomes coming in. We were bankrupt, my mum suffered health issues, we relied on working tax credits and we didn’t have any savings.”

Due to her father’s conditions, the family could not get life insurance, meaning they lost their mortgage and home. “We didn’t have financial security and I felt my life chances were affected.

Even in terms of small things, like school trips, I knew we couldn’t afford them. Since then I can see that is replicated with other families in that if you come from a lower income background you’re more likely to not go on and have the same attainment at school or have health issues, for example.”