Harriet Harman has today returned to Labour’s class war tactic, announcing the introduction of an “inequality bible.”

Making the announcement in a speech ahead of the publication of a government-commissioned report that puts the inequality question at the forefront of Labour’s general election campaign, the Labour deputy leader and minister for women and equality said: “Persistent inequality of socioeconomic status – of class -overarches the discrimination or disadvantage that can come from your gender, race or disability.

The question of equality is not just rooted in our traditional values and linked with our past, it’s essential for the future. The public want an equal society, one where there is not a yawning and growing gap between the bottom and the top.”

The 420-page report, chaired by professor John Hills, will say that despite 12 years in office, the Government has failed to root out inequality and that more needs to be done to combat discrimination in the UK.

Following the failed coup to unseat Gordon Brown two weeks ago the prime minister was forced to rein in those in his Cabinet advocating fighting the election campaign along class lines, but it is still expected to play a part in Labour’ strategy.

Responding to Harriet Harman’s speech Shadow Minister for Women, Theresa May said:

“Less than a week after Gordon Brown claimed that his party are not embarking on a class war, Harriet Harman has come out and done exactly that.

“The truth is that under Labour social mobility has stalled and the gap between the rich and poor has grown to a record high. We cannot go on like this. Labour’s failure has been a result of their one-dimensional approach. Unlike Labour we will deal with the causes of poverty and inequality including educational failure, family breakdown and worklessness.”

Labour’s Failures.

Record Inequality. Inequality is now at a record high according to The Gini Coefficient – a commonly used internationally recognized measure of income inequality – it is now above the level that Labour inherited in 1997 and at the highest level since 1961.

Social Mobility Stalled. Despite Gordon Brown’s rhetoric, his policies have failed to improve social mobility. According to the Government’s very own report, Cabinet Office, Getting on, getting ahead, “Although social mobility did not fall between 1970 and 2000, policy did not succeed in increasing it”. Independent research by the highly respected Sutton Trust has found that Britain has one of the lowest levels of social mobility in the developed world.

Almost 1 million more in severe poverty. The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that the number of people living in severe poverty has risen by 900,000 since 1997.

Poorest Getting Poorer. According to the Department of Work and Pensions own report, Households Below Average Income 2007/08, the income of the poorest 10 percent of households has been falling for the past four years and is now £9 a week lower in real terms than in 2002. Over the same period the richest 10 percent of households have seen their incomes grow in real terms by £94 a week. The income of the poorest 10 per cent of households is the same now in real terms as it was in 1999.

Talent Wasted. The research director of the Sutton Trust, Dr Lee Elliot-Major, said: “Our findings suggest that social mobility could and should be higher in this country. There is too much waste of talent”.

Pensioner Poverty Higher than in 1997. There are 2.5 million pensioners living in poverty (defined as living in a household with an income below 60 per cent of median income, before housing costs), 100,000 more than in 1996-97.