The Tories accused Labour of reviving “class warfare” after the government on Wednesday sought to make equality a political dividing line, hitting back at Conservative claims to have become the party of fairness.

Harriet Harman, Labour deputy leader, announced the creation of a “national equality panel” of academics charged with providing an authoritative analysis of inequality in Britain by the end of next year. This evidence will help the government “properly target measures to address persisting equality gaps and build on the good work that we have already done”, she said.