At least 500 diversity officers are being employed by the Government at the taxpayers’ expense to enforce diversity, equality, and inclusion policies.
Since Labour came to power, some Whitehall departments have doubled the number of staff responsible for overseeing equality, diversity, inclusion, gender, LGBT, and race policies.
The employment figures only emerged after a two-year campaign led by Conservative MP Neil O'Brien, who used freedom of information (FOI) requests and parliamentary questions to overcome attempts by officials and ministers to block their publication.
The true number of diversity-focused roles across Whitehall is thought to be much higher, as some departments have yet to release their figures.
Some Whitehall departments have doubled the number of staff responsible for overseeing DEI, LGBT, gender and race policies
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The figures revealed that there are 77 members of staff within the Ministry of Defence holding roles with the words equality, diversity, inclusion, gender, LGBT, or race in their job titles.
The Office for Equality and Opportunity now employs 180 staff and leads government policy on equality issues from within the Cabinet Office.
This is a significant increase from December 2023, when just 28 staff were recorded as holding roles with DEI, gender, LGBT, or race in their job titles.
It was also revealed that there are roughly 330 additional DEI staff outside the central Cabinet Office teams, bringing the total known number across the Civil Service to 510.
The total known number of DEI staff across the Civil Service stands at 510
| GETTYMr O’Brien criticised the number of DEI roles across government as a waste of public money, at a time when the country is preparing for a Budget expected to increase the burden on taxpayers.
The Conservative MP said: “The Chancellor Rachel Reeves is about to massively increase tax yet again, claiming there is no alternative.
"But we can see that within ministers’ own departments the number of people doing woke diversity jobs is increasing.
"These types of jobs cost taxpayers twice - one for their salaries and then a second bigger cost for all the work they then create for other people to comply with various left wing policies they generate.”
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Mr O’Brien criticised the number of DEI roles across government as a waste of public money
| GB NEWS“The fact that so many Labour ministers have tried to block the release of these figures at every turn shows that they know voters don’t support these waste of money non-jobs.
"But rather than do what voters want and deliver value for money, Labour have prioritised funding woke ideology.
"When Rachel Reeves hikes our taxes it will be this kind of rubbish that hard working people will be paying extra for.”
The total cost of employing at least 510 DEI staff across Whitehall is estimated at around £28.1 million a year, based on an average civil service salary of £55,000.
A Government source told The Telegraph: “These roles include teams working on ending violence against women and girls, breaking down barriers to work for disabled people and improving workplace support for women experiencing menopause.
"It’s typical of the Tories to oppose this work.
“And let’s not forget it was the Tories who presided over a massive expansion of the state.
"They should explain why they hired 130,000 extra civil servants, despite repeated promises to do the opposite.”
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