Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch says she will reform the Equality Act, including a pledge to scrap the public sector equality duty. The move is being described as part of an effort to win back support from Reform UK voters. Badenoch previously served as equalities minister from 2020 to 2022. The public sector equality duty is a legal requirement that obliges public bodies to actively consider how their policies and decisions affect people with protected characteristics.
The reports focus on Badenoch’s intention to change the operation of equality law and how that could play politically, with the reform proposal framed as a response to voters who have been attracted to Reform’s culture-war messaging. Both items attribute the same core policy direction to Badenoch, emphasizing the legal nature of the duty and the potential implications for how public institutions approach equality considerations. The coverage presents the announcement primarily as a political signal tied to broader debates about equality legislation and the role of public bodies in meeting equality obligations.
