UK continues its drive for political correctness....

They are going to waste billions of pounds on silly political correctness...

Harriet Harman was given an official warning last night for exaggerating the pay gap between men and women.

Britain's statistics watchdog accused Labour's deputy leader - who is also the Women's Minister - of using a figure that more than doubled the real divide.

Sir Michael Scholar said her office had been warned that including parttime workers in her calculations could be misleading but pressed ahead.

They claimed that women were paid 23 per cent less, but Sir Michael says 12.8 per cent would be a more accurate figure.

The row came as Miss Harman launched her controversial new Equality Bill, which would establish an 'equality duty' on public bodies.

On top of race, disability and gender, they will have to promote equality in sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment.

Schools, hospitals and other organisations with 150 or more employees will have to report annually on their gender pay gap and employment rates of black, ethnic minority and disabled staff.

They will also have a legal duty to use public spending totalling £ 175billion a year to 'drive equality'.

Examples given by the Government included local authorities looking for providers of 'meals on wheels' that deliver culturally diverse foods, such as kosher and halal meals.

Other measures include a plan to allow employers to take 'positive action' to hire more women and minority candidates.

They will be able to choose a woman over an equally-qualified man simply because of her sex.