Diversity coaching throughout authorities departments is “riddled with left-wing views”, claims Suella Braverman.
The legal professional common says she is “all for a diverse workforce… meritocracy [and] inclusion”, however tells Sky News there was a “takeover by HR teams [and] campaign groups” within the civil service, which has “propagated a political ideology when it comes to identity politics”.
She is backing plans from Conservative management contender Liz Truss to scrap the range and inclusion roles in Whitehall, which the international secretary claims will save £12m a 12 months.
The coverage was a part of the candidate’s plan to “wage war on Whitehall waste” introduced earlier this week, which led to an enormous U-turn on save £8.8bn on public sector pay.
Politics Hub: Sunak and Truss put together for Sky News Battle for Number 10 management particular
Ms Truss had needed to introduce regional pay boards to set salaries depending on the place individuals lived, but it surely sparked fury from Tory MPs nervous it may hit the likes of nurses, academics and cops in much less prosperous areas.
Less than 24 hours after the plan was introduced, Team Truss scrapped the regional ingredient, however indicated they might be sticking with different elements, together with the removing of those Civil Service roles.
Ms Braverman – who ran for the management herself, however received behind Ms Truss after she was knocked out – says there was “thousands of hours” of variety and inclusion coaching inside authorities departments at “a huge cost to the tax payer”.
“It’s been divisive, not inclusive,” she advised Sky News. “It’s been patronising, not empowering.
“It’s primarily based on an assumption that me as an ethnic Asian lady from working class roots have to be a sufferer, essentially oppressed. That’s a misassumption. And I believe it creates division.
“It’s tearing up society, breaking down the fabric of our country. And I think it’s a waste of money.”
‘Divisive nature’
The legal professional common additionally claimed the way in which it’s taught is “indoctrinating”, including: “The training materials that I’ve seen used in the civil service is riddled with left-wing views on race and gender, things like white privilege.
“Civil servants are taught about micro-aggressions. They’re taught about white fragility. They’re taught about be a straight ally. I do not assume these are objectively neutral in the case of politics.
“And I don’t think they are good value for money. And I don’t think ultimately that’s what taxpayers want their civil servants or their government lawyers to be spending their time on.”
Ms Braverman denied her views – and Ms Truss’s coverage – have been “anti-woke”, as a substitute saying they have been “against identity politics and the divisive nature of all of this”.
But she additionally admitted it was not the “biggest issue of the day”.
“It comes to civil service efficiency, it comes to government delivery,” she says.
“And if we can reduce the cost of civil service to reduce the cost of government, that’s only not only good for the economy and public spending, it’s also really good for efficiency and public service delivery for individuals.”
The difficulty might effectively come up at Sky News’ Battle for Number 10 programme at 8pm tonight.
Ms Truss and Mr Sunak will participate in back-to-back questioning from a reside studio viewers at Sky Studios in west London – made up of undecided Conservative Party members – earlier than going through an in-depth interview with Kay Burley.
‘The Battle for Number 10′ will probably be broadcast reside for 90 minutes and without spending a dime on Sky News channel 501, on Freeview 233, on Sky Showcase channel 106, and throughout Sky News’ digital channels.
Source: information.sky.com”