Secret plan by Starmer to hit the well-off by cutting their public services trends now

Labour was last night accused of declaring 'class war on Middle Britain' over shock plans to slash public services in affluent areas.

Party leader Sir Keir Starmer faced claims he was plotting a 'hard-Left attack' on the wealthy by diverting resources from rich areas to poorer postcodes – affecting access to GPs, school places and even bin collections.

The radical plans, included among draft proposals for Labour's Election manifesto, would extend equality laws covering race, age, gender, disability and sexuality to include 'the inequality of social class'. 

It means public bodies could make spending decisions that penalise middle-class areas to divert funds to poorer neighbourhoods.

Last night, one former Cabinet Minister accused Sir Keir of 'taking a scythe to success' in what would amount to 'an attack on already hard-pressed rural and suburban areas.'

The far-reaching proposal being circulated to party members and trade unions is concealed in dry jargon that pledges to enact 'the socioeconomic duty under section 1 of the Equality Act' and 'conduct equality impact assessments of major announcements'. 

That legislation was pushed through by the last Labour Government. But the crucial section – described at the time as 'socialism in one clause' – was vetoed by the Tories when they took power after the 2010 Election, before it could take effect.

According to the leaked document, if Sir Keir became Prime Minister he could reactivate the section, raising fears of fewer bin collections, closures of libraries and hikes in council tax in richer areas to the benefit of poorer communities.

Last night, senior Tory MP and former Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg told The Mail on Sunday: 'Once again, the Starmer mask slips.

'A man who stood on a hard-Left, Corbynite agenda to win the Labour leadership would deliver a hard-Left attack on already hard-pressed rural and suburban areas. This is a declaration of class war on Middle Britain.

'It's the same old socialist mantra: make everyone equally poor by taking a scythe to success rather than by seeking to make everyone more prosperous.