Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has unveiled a report claiming that diversity initiatives in the workplace are largely ineffective and wasteful. The report, titled Inclusion at Work, argues that spending on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) often fails to increase diversity or reduce prejudice.
Badenoch stated that “performative gestures such as compulsory pronouns and rainbow lanyards” are signs that organisations struggle to demonstrate genuine inclusion. She also criticised the concepts of white privilege and unconscious bias as “outmoded”. The report suggests that EDI jobs in public services cost taxpayers at least half a billion pounds annually.
The minister’s comments have drawn praise from right-wing circles but criticism from others who argue that Britain’s subtle forms of bigotry require more, not less, diversity work. Nels Abbey, writing in The Guardian, accused Badenoch of targeting diversity to boost her political career within the Conservative party.
The government is considering introducing a presumption against external EDI spending and increasing ministerial scrutiny of such expenditure. This move aligns with a broader backlash against EDI initiatives seen in the US, led by figures like Elon Musk.
