Dedicated Diversity Positions Eliminated in Government Jobs
Esther McVey accused the government of wasting public funds on ‘woke hobby horses’.
The government’s “common sense” minister has declared a prohibition on roles dedicated to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within the Civil Service.
Esther McVey alleged in an article in The Sunday Telegraph that public money was being squandered on “woke hobby horses.”
The Cabinet Office minister stated that there would no longer be any specific EDI roles in Whitehall outside of human resources, and no staff would be solely focused on EDI activities.
As per the new guidance, all external EDI spending across the Civil Service will cease unless approved by ministers.
Ms. McVey mentioned that she would meet with arms-length bodies that had spent the most on external EDI to inquire about how this spending was benefiting taxpayers.
The MP for Tatton in Cheshire cautioned that the public sector should not turn into a “pointless job creation scheme for the politically correct.”
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She expressed concern about the amount of time spent on diversity programs by staff.
“Time and money that should be allocated to the primary purpose of the public sector—serving the public—is being used on woke agenda,” she stated.
“Most of these EDI programs, especially when conducted by private firms or advocacy groups, lack transparency and their benefits are unproven. If we cannot demonstrate their value, they fail the public interest test. So, I am committed to ending it.”
In October, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt initiated a review of expenditure on EDI initiatives across the public sector, and the findings have now been forwarded to the Cabinet Office.
Spending on EDI has been a recurring issue for right-wing Tories, and the calls to save public funds by cutting such policies are expected to intensify leading up to the general election.
The Cabinet Office declined to disclose the number of non-HR staff in the Civil Service who are currently dedicated solely to EDI work.
Ms. McVey will outline her plans in a speech at the Centre for Policy Studies in Westminster on Monday.
