Kemi Badenoch to Abolish Public Sector Equality Duty, Citing Divisive Agendas

Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch is set to announce the abolition of the Public Sector Equality Duty, asserting that it has become a "minefield" for public bodies.

In a speech scheduled for Tuesday, Badenoch will contend that the duty, which mandates public services such as schools and hospitals to advance equality, has been exploited to promote "dangerous and divisive agendas" and exposes public decisions to undue legal challenges. This initiative is presented by the Conservative party as a preliminary step in a broader strategy to "restore common sense" to public policy.

The Public Sector Equality Duty, enshrined in the 2010 Equality Act, requires public authorities across England, Scotland, and Wales to eliminate unlawful discrimination and foster equality of opportunity based on protected characteristics including age, disability, race, sex, and sexual orientation. Its introduction merged prior anti-discrimination legislation, such as the Equal Pay Act.

Since its inception, the duty has been used in various legal challenges, including a 2011 High Court ruling against Somerset and Gloucestershire County Councils for their proposed withdrawal of library funding, and a 2012 court decision against Devon County Council regarding care home fees. In 2020, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission found the Home Office non-compliant concerning the impact of its "hostile environment" policies on the Windrush generation.

The Conservative party argues that the duty forms the "legal foundation" for the proliferation of "identity politics, DEI bureaucracy, and ideological box-ticking" within public services. They cite examples such as the Bank of England's decision to remove Winston Churchill from banknotes and police training advocating differential treatment.

Badenoch is expected to state: "We are going to scrap this duty altogether. We do not need to replace it. We need to explain to people that they should do their jobs."

Meanwhile, the Labour party has pledged a new equality and diversity strategy, explicitly prioritising socio-economic background to address the over-representation of affluent individuals within the civil service. This strategy aims to ensure that people from working-class and regional backgrounds do not feel compelled to alter their behaviour, accents, or language to integrate into the civil service.

Reform UK dismissed Badenoch's proposal as "classic Conservative politics: too little, too late, and nowhere near enough." Liberal Democrat Women and Equalities Spokesperson, Marie Goldman MP, characterised the speech as "a desperate attempt to fan the flames of culture war politics from a Conservative party completely out of ideas," urging the Conservatives to focus on rectifying the National Health Service and economy.