Although the EU has been influential in the development of equalities legislation, Brexit would be unlikely to put these rights in jeopardy. Historically, the UK has led the way when it comes to women’s rights and workplace and family protections, and this will surely continue. The worry that undermining women’s rights is part of a secret Brexit agenda is verging on the paranoid.

What’s more, even if a future UK government did want to ‘turn back the clock’, it would require the support of parliament and, ultimately, those responsible have to answer to the public at the polls. It is very unlikely that any future administration would be able to roll back women’s rights in the ways feared.

Likewise, claims of a link between Brexit, austerity and women simply do not stand up to scrutiny. The argument that public spending cuts are “sexist” is already inherently questionable – but to claim the same will be true of Brexit depends on absolute worst-case scenarios, flawed logic, and an assumption that recession-level spending cuts would automatically follow our departure from the EU. Take these assumptions away and there is very little left at all.

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