‘Labour has a chance to make the socio-economic duty mean something’

When the UK Government passed the Equality Act in 2010, it did something potentially transformative. Section 1 created a socio-economic duty requiring certain public authorities to have due regard to the need to reduce inequalities of outcome resulting from socio-economic disadvantage.

As Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, said in June this year: “The Equality Act 2010 is a monumental achievement, passed by the last Labour Government, that protects everyone from discrimination and harassment. The public sector equality duty makes our services fairer for everyone, and we are bolstering that by commencing the socioeconomic duty.”

The duty was brought into Scots law in April 2018 and in Wales in March 2021. Sixteen years after the Equality Act became law however, the duty is still not in force in England. 

The UK Government’s announcement of a new Class Unit in September 2026, with commencement of the socio-economic duty identified as one of its early priorities, offers a chance to change that. During Challenge Poverty Week, this is worth celebrating, but also worth being clear about what comes next.

READ MORE: Party chair Bridget Phillipson addresses conference – her speech in full

Because the duty is not simply another policy initiative. Done properly, it could change how decisions are made.

The basic idea is straightforward. When a public authority makes a strategic decision, about its budget, services or priorities, it should have to consider its impact on people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and what it can do to reduce inequalities of outcome.

The decisions governments and public bodies make shape people’s access to housing, health, education, employment and the resources they need to live with dignity.

The socio-economic duty provides a mechanism for bringing those realities into the room when decisions are made.

And we know this can work.

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) voluntarily adopted the duty in 2021. It used the framework to look at how socio-economic disadvantage affected its recruitment, among other areas of its work.

One finding was particularly revealing. Applicants for firefighter roles were required to have a driving licence. Looking at the evidence, the service recognised that people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage were less likely to hold one, meaning a seemingly neutral recruitment requirement could create a barrier for precisely the people the service wanted to reach.

MFRS removed the driving licence requirement and introduced driving licence bursaries for successful applicants from 20 deprived areas of Merseyside. The results were striking: in 2022, the change generated 195 additional applications, with 48 percent coming from the 10 per cent most deprived areas.

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This is what implementing the socio-economic duty can look like in practice. It is not about lowering standards or giving people special treatment. It is about asking whether the way we design systems creates barriers, understanding who needs to be considered and formulating decisions accordingly.

It also shows why commencement cannot be the end of the conversation.

If Labour is serious about putting class inequality at the heart of government, it should make sure the duty has the tools to deliver. That means a clear timetable for commencement, strong guidance and adequate resources for public authorities. It means meaningful engagement with the people and communities most affected by socio-economic disadvantage. And it means transparency about whether and how the duty is actually influencing decisions.

There is a wider principle here, too.

Economic and social inequalities are not inevitable. They are shaped by decisions about how resources are distributed, how public services are designed and whose experiences count in those decisions. A socio-economic duty gives public authorities a practical way to confront those choices.

Now during Challenge Poverty Week, the UK Government finally has a chance to make a difference. It should enact the duty after 16 years of waiting.

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