Equity's entire Race Equality Committee resigns over Laurence Fox apology

Actors union Equity’s entire Race Equality Committee has resigned over the company issuing an apology to Laurence Fox.

The union had previously branded Fox a ‘disgrace’ over his comments on Question Time surrounding Meghan Markle, which saw him declare that an audience member was being ‘racist’ towards him by calling him a ‘privileged white male.’

After Equity issued an apology on Twitter, the entire committee resigned, saying: ‘It is with deep regret that, following @EquityUK’s statement this morning, all members of Equity’s recently renamed Race Equality Committee (formerly the Equity Minority Ethnic Members Committee) feel we have no choice but to resign as committee members.’

Fox responded to the resignations by writing: ‘Hopefully this might an opportunity for us to continue to celebrate diversity in all its forms. Including diversity of opinion. @[email protected]’

The union had previously written: ‘On 17 January a series of tweets were posted by the @EquityMEM Twitter account about Laurence Fox’s appearance on BBC Question Time.

‘We are sorry that in the tweets he was called a ‘disgrace’ by Equity. It was a mistake for Equity as an organisation to criticise him in this way. Nothing in Equity’s later statement was intended as a slur on his character or views or to suggest that he should be denied the ability to work.

Laurence, who is a member of the Fox theatre dynasty and attended the elite fee-paying Harrow School, was having none of it, fuming: ‘I can’t help what I am, I was born like this, it’s an immutable characteristic so to call me a white privileged male is to be racist, you’re being racist.’

Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan has since defended Laurence, saying of Equity’s apology: ‘Finally… this was a shameful way to treat @LozzaFox for having the audacity to express an opinion. Good to see @EquityUK acknowledge how wrong it was. Free speech matters.’

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