Badenoch Criticizes Macpherson Report, Proposes Scrapping Equality Duty and Expanding Stop and Search
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced plans to repeal the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), a legal requirement for public bodies to actively promote equality in their operations. The pledge is part of a broader Conservative strategy to position the party between Labour, which has strengthened equality protections, and Reform UK, which wants to abolish the Equality Act entirely. The move has drawn criticism from disability rights groups, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and opposition parties, while Reform dismissed it as too little, too late.
Kemi Badenoch used a speech in London to commit to scrapping the Public Sector Equality Duty, a provision of the 2010 Equality Act that requires public bodies — including schools, hospitals, and police forces — to have 'due regard' to promoting equality in their day-to-day decisions. Badenoch, who served as equalities minister from 2020 to 2022 without seeking the PSED's removal at the time, argued the duty has been used to advance 'dangerous and divisive agendas' and has led to some groups being 'preferred over others.' The announcement comes in the wake of the murder of student Henry Nowak and subsequent controversy over policing practices, which have reignited debate about equality laws. The Conservatives framed the repeal as the first step in a programme to 'restore common sense,' contrasting their position with Labour's support for the duty and Reform UK's more sweeping pledge to abolish the Equality Act altogether. Critics, including the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Disability Rights campaigners, and the Liberal Democrats, warned that scrapping the PSED would remove important protections and entrench systemic discrimination. The government's Science Secretary Liz Kendall accused the Conservatives of wanting to 'turn the clock back,' though the Conservatives disputed her characterisation of which protections would be affected. The EHCR noted the duty is 'not a barrier' to public bodies doing their jobs but helps them 'make good decisions' about the impact of their actions.
What's missing
Neither source provides independent empirical evidence on whether repealing the PSED would materially worsen equality outcomes in practice, beyond competing assertions from advocates and critics.
How coverage differed
The Guardian framed the announcement primarily as an electoral manoeuvre to fend off Reform UK, emphasising opposition from the EHCR and the breadth of groups that could be harmed, and contextualising it within Badenoch's broader 'culture war' positioning. The BBC provided a more procedural account, giving greater space to Badenoch's own arguments and including specific legal examples of the PSED in action, while still presenting critical voices from across the political spectrum.
What different sources said
- BBCCenter
Starmer dithering over defence spending, says Badenoch
Badenoch criticises Macpherson report and calls for more stop and search
- BBC Top StoriesCenter
Scrap legal equality duty for public services, says Badenoch
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