Labour draws up equality law revamp that will inflict 'socialism' on Britain

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Labour is planning an overhaul of equality laws that will inflict "socialism" on Britain, the Tories have claimed.

Sir Keir Starmer's government is drawing up new statutory guidance that critics say amounts to a "war on the middle class".

Under the plans, public sector bodies will have a new "socio-economic duty" imposed on them, meaning that all decisions they make must strive to reduce inequality in society.

The policy would lead to benefits claimants and deprived families being prioritised for taxpayer-funded services, with the middle classes pushed to the back of the queue, according to the Conservatives.

In practice, they warn that this could lead to middle-class families being discriminated against when it comes to school places, police resources, GP and hospital appointments.

Labour has been accused of launching a series of measures which have penalised the middle classes, including imposing VAT on private school fees and changing inheritance taxes for farmers and family-owned businesses.

Alex Burghart, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: "Every government department will weigh every single decision based not on what's right or fair but on whether it brings about Labour's Left-wing fantasies. Schools, hospitals, the police - all will be subject to this duty.

"This will stifle what is already an overly bureaucratic government machine - and lead to terrible outcomes for the British people. We need to break the choke-hold of slow, risk-averse decision-making across government, but Labour are tightening it.

"As Ed Miliband himself made clear, this government is driven by a fixation on class division, and that is now being embedded across the entire machinery of the state. At its core, this is an attack on aspiration, penalising those who work hard and get on. This is unabashed class warfare targeting the middle class."

Last month, Mr Miliband, the Energy Secretary, said that Sir Keir is motivated by a "burning passion" and is angered most of all by the "class divide" in the UK.

The socio-economic duty has been dubbed "Harman's law" after Baroness Harman, the former Labour deputy leader who originally brought it in as part of the Equality Act in 2010.

It included a clause that required public bodies to "have due regard to the desirability of exercising [their functions] in a way that is designed to reduce the inequalities of outcome which result from socio-economic disadvantage".

The Tories kept the Act when they won the election later that year, but scrapped the socio-economic element, with Theresa May, then home secretary, describing it as "ridiculous".

But Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to implement it. A consultation closed last June and the Cabinet Office's equality unit is now drawing up plans for new statutory guidance, The Telegraph understands.

Officials in the Cabinet Office's equality unit are in talks with public bodies to discuss which will be in scope and how the guidance will affect their sector.

If applied to school admissions, this could lead to class discrimination where poorer pupils are prioritised for places at top state schools, the Tories say.

Likewise, hospital and GP waiting lists may prioritise giving appointments to those from lower socio-economic classes, in order to fulfil their new duties under equality laws.

Middle class areas could have police and council funding diverted away from them and funnelled instead into deprived neighbourhoods.

Nick Timothy, the shadow justice secretary, said: "This absurd idea is a cynical attempt to impose socialism upon every decision made by every public body in the land.

"But it is also a charter for claimant lawyers and Left-wing lawfare, as campaigners will challenge councils and police forces and every public sector organisation imaginable in the courts. This is wrong in principle and hopelessly irresponsible."

A consultation document on the change, published last year, said: "The socio-economic duty requires specified public authorities, when making strategic decisions such as deciding priorities and setting objectives, to consider how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage.

"Being 'socio-economically disadvantaged' means living in less favourable social and economic circumstances than others in the same society. This can include having a low income or living in a deprived area.

"The decisions that public authorities could make, may be, for example, in education, health, or housing."

A Government spokesman said the claims were "untrue nonsense", adding that they were "committed to ensuring everyone, regardless of background, can thrive".

The spokesman said that Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 in England would "level up opportunities for all".

They said: "Following a call for evidence in 2025 on equality law, we are now working towards commencement of the duty. This will include drafting statutory guidance to clarify how the duty can be applied effectively."