Kemi Badenoch, Conservative Party leader, will announce plans to scrap the public sector equality duty in a speech on Tuesday. The move positions her party against what she describes as "divisive agendas" advanced through equality obligations.
The public sector equality duty requires government bodies and public institutions to consider how they can promote equality and improve society in their operations. Badenoch, who served as minister for equalities from 2020 to 2022, frames the requirement as a tool for ideological overreach rather than practical governance.
The announcement represents a sharp rightward turn for the Tories. Badenoch aims to reclaim voters attracted to Reform UK, Nigel Farage's populist party that has surged in recent polling. By pledging to dismantle equality obligations, she signals alignment with anti-woke sentiment while maintaining the Conservative Party's establishment credibility.
The strategy carries political risk. Scrapping the equality duty would remove legal frameworks that protect women, minorities, and disabled people in public services. Health trusts, schools, councils, and police forces currently use these obligations to address discrimination and improve access. Removing them opens debate about whether public institutions should formally consider equality outcomes.
Badenoch's framing of equality work as divisive reflects broader Conservative messaging against what they call "identity politics." This argument resonates with voters concerned about cultural change but alienates civil rights advocates and progressive constituencies.
The timing matters. Reform UK has captured working-class support traditionally held by Conservatives. Badenoch's commitment to scrap the equality duty competes for those voters without appearing as extreme as Reform while preserving institutional legitimacy. She positions herself as someone who understands populist concerns without embracing full populism.
Her former role as equalities minister complicates this pivot. Critics will note her shift from implementing equality policy to dismantling its legal