Labour accuses Badenoch of wanting to ‘turn clock back’ with plan to scrap public sector equality duty – UK politics live

Labour has accused Technology Secretary Kemi Badenoch of seeking to regress on equality protections with her plan to abolish the public sector equality duty. The opposition party asserts that this legal requirement is vital for safeguarding individuals, particularly women and older people, against workplace discrimination.

Badenoch, however, argues that the current duty, part of the Equality Act, is problematic. In remarks released by Conservative Campaign Headquarters, she stated that the duty is "subjective" and lacks "clear rules." She described it as a "minefield" that exposes public decisions to frequent legal challenges, suggesting it has become counterproductive despite its original intentions.

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There are so many problems [in equalities legislation] to fix. Many of them are currently as a result of the public sector equality duty in the Equality Act.

The public sector equality duty mandates that listed public authorities and bodies performing public functions must consider the impact of their functions on people with different protected characteristics. This includes evaluating how policies affect individuals based on age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Badenoch's proposed changes aim to reform what she views as an overly burdensome and litigious aspect of equality legislation.

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It is a duty that is subjective ... with no clear rules ... and whatever its intention ... in practice, it has become a minefield that exposes almost every significant public decision to legal challenge.