Harman forced to retreat over 'class war'

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The Commons leader backed down after the Tories accused her of reviving class war rhetoric to appease the unions bankrolling Labour. There was speculation that she had been leaned on by Downing Street to moderate her language.

Ms Harman had pre-briefed her speech and issued a press release in which she used the words "social class". She warned social class "overarches" a string of other factors in people's life prospects.

But the Cabinet minister came under fire from Tory MPs, who accused Labour of bowing to Leftwingers and caving in to the unions which provide around £9 in £10 of the party's funding.

Mike Penning, Tory health spokesman for London, said: "Labour is in trouble with its paymasters, as well as with voters, and is reverting back to the class war of the Seventies."

The words "social class" were quietly dropped from Ms Harman's eight-minute speech to delegates at the TUC conference in Brighton. Instead she criticised the gap between the rich and poor, and the North and South.

Ms Harman, who was educated at £5,000-a-term St Paul's Girls' School, unveiled plans for a National Equalities Panel to examine how life chances are affected by people's background, where they live, their wealth, gender, race, disability and age.

Ms Harman told delegates that "equality matters more than ever" and was "necessary for a peaceful society and a strong economy". Her comments contrast with those of Tony Blair in 1999 that "the class war is over" - but won immediate support from Left-wing MPs. Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MP for Islington North and a member of the Left-wing Campaign group, said: "The biggest fall in support for Labour is among the traditional working class. We can't win without them."