Liberal Democrat-run London council accused of ‘two-tier approach to equalities’ after saying e-bikes would help women to ‘stay looking nice’
A council run by the Liberal Democrats has been accused of having a “two-tiered approach to equalities” after saying e-bikes would help women “keep looking good”.
Kingston Council in south-west London noted in its equality impact assessment that e-bikes could ‘increase women’s access to cycling and physical activity by making it easier for women to carry out traditional domestic responsibilities and look ‘nice’ on a bike’.
She added that ‘e-bikes also challenge sexism in cycling in important ways’; Making bicycle sales and repair environments more inclusive for women, challenging sexism in bicycle design and marketing, and increasing women’s sense of confidence and right to occupy road space.
The report also stated: ‘They also offer more empowering and enjoyable physical activity opportunities to a wider group of women.’
The local authority was forced to make an embarrassing U-turn after a resident claimed the statement showed a ‘two-tiered approach to equality’ by ‘treating women as second-class citizens’.
‘There is no room for such disturbing statements in today’s society, let alone an equalities impact assessment,’ he said.
Another resident reacted angrily: ‘Kingston Council horror. This is taken from the Equity Impact Assessment to increase the number of e-bikes by 500 across Kingston which went to the Grounds Committee. MY GOD. Weep, women of Kingston; cry!’
Kingston Council apologized, admitting the report ‘contained an outdated and inappropriate description of the benefits of cycling for women’.
An equality report published by Kingston Council claimed e-bikes would help women ‘look beautiful’, sparking angry backlash from local residents
Residents accused the council (pictured) of sexism and having a ‘two-tiered approach to equalities’
In a statement on Thursday, the council said: ‘It has been brought to our attention today that the Equality Impact Assessment published as an addendum to the E-Bike Concession Agreement report of 4 June 2026 submitted to the Council’s Venue Committee contains an outdated and inappropriate description of the benefits of cycling for women.
‘This statement is inconsistent with the council’s commitments to fairness, inclusion and protecting the rights of all women and girls.
‘We sincerely apologize for this mistake and any offense we may have caused. ‘We are committed to justice and equal opportunity, working with communities and partners to ensure Kingston is a place where we celebrate diversity, fight inequality and work to ensure everyone feels safe, valued and heard.’
The council said the statement was a ‘direct quote from a peer-reviewed academic paper used as part of research to inform the review’.
“Although the research cited highlights how the availability of e-bikes challenges sexism and makes cycling more accessible to some women, we recognize that using the quote specifically alone and without reference is likely to cause offending, so it should never have been included in EQIA,” the council said.
The equality report now states: ‘E-bikes can increase active travel among women as well as the wider population, for example by enabling the transport of goods or shopping and by allowing for more complex journey chains that responsible people can undertake on a more regular basis.’
The Daily Mail has approached Kingston Council for further comment.
