Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is set to call for the abolition of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), arguing that the requirement for public bodies to promote equality has been hijacked to advance "dangerous and divisive agendas."
In a speech on Tuesday, Badenoch will contend that the duty, which applies to schools, hospitals, and other public authorities in England, Scotland, and Wales, has become a legal minefield that exposes major public decisions to costly challenges. She will propose scrapping it entirely without replacement, asserting that public officials should simply "do their jobs."
The announcement marks the first step in a Conservative push to "restore common sense" and follows heightened scrutiny of equality policies after the murder of Henry Nowak and the subsequent police response. The Tories aim to differentiate themselves from Labour, which is strengthening equality protections, and Reform UK, which wants to scrap the entire Equality Act.
The PSED, introduced in 2010 as part of the Equality Act, requires public bodies to eliminate unlawful discrimination and advance equality of opportunity for people with protected characteristics, including age, disability, race, sex, and sexual orientation. Government guidance emphasizes proportionality, but opponents argue it has fostered identity politics and bureaucratic box-ticking.
Since its enactment, the duty has been used in court challenges against library closures, care home fees, and the Home Office's hostile environment policies affecting the Windrush generation. The Equality and Human Rights Commission defended the PSED, stating it helps public authorities make informed decisions rather than hindering their work.
Reform UK dismissed Badenoch's proposal as insufficient, while Liberal Democrat equalities spokesperson Marie Goldman accused the Conservatives of stoking culture wars instead of addressing pressing issues like the NHS and economy.
Meanwhile, Labour is preparing its own equality strategy with a focus on socio-economic background, aiming to reduce over-representation of affluent individuals in the civil service and create an environment where working-class and regional employees do not feel pressured to change their behavior or accent.