Badenoch says Equality Act has 'fed a lot of discontent'

Tory leadership candidate also ruled out merger with Reform

- CLAUDIA SAVAGE

Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch has said the Equality Act being misinterpreted has "fed a lot of the discontent" seen in communities across the UK.

The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society, replacing previous anti-discrimination laws in relation to disability, age, gender and race with a single act.

During her tenure as minister for women and equalities, Ms Badenoch was critical of the act, specifically relating to trans women in female spaces. After violent racist disorder across England in response to the killing of three young girls in Southport, allegations were made of “two-tier policing”, with claims that officers are overly lenient with protesters of progressive causes or racial minorities.

In an online rally, Ms Badenoch, who is currently the shadow housing and communities secretary, was asked about society “becoming more factionalised”.

She said: “I think that one of the things we need to strongly emphasise is equality under the law. There are too many people who have misinterpreted the Equality Act and think that there are different groups which are protected in different ways. That is not true.