advice needed re redundancy in a matrix organisation

My company is currently undergoing a 30 day consultation process for redundancies. I was originally employed as a bid manager working partially from home.
However after I joined they changed the company to a matrix company where people have 'assignments' not roles - even though a senior director said to me last week they still view the bid manager role as a role.
They are also recruiting additional bid managers.

Additionally I was working as a bid manager prior to going on maternity leave which I have just returned from. Whilst I was on maternity leave a new bid director joined who is now saying I cannot do a full-time bid manager role as I would need to be based in the office.

My question is a) can they make me redundant if recruiting for the role I was originally employed to do and b) is it discrimination to say I cannot do the role I was doing before maternity leave because I would now need to be office based?

Thanks

They are making redundancies and recruiting at the same time?? They are under an obligation to offer individuals being made redundant suitable employment if it's available, and if they are recruiting externally it sounds as though there is currently employment available, so yes you could challenge that.

It's not necessarily 'discrimination' to change the working situation of people doing the job you were doing before maternity leave, no. Regardless of any redundancy situation, when you return from maternity leave they are obliged to offer you a suitable job on no less favourable terms and conditions, which would include working location. If you feel there is a job available, and you feel there is no justification to their decision to change the terms and conditions, then you could consider challenging that. Even if there is a genuine business need to change those terms and conditions, it sounds a bit odd your director saying you can't do it because you'd need to be based in the office, without offering you the opportunity to be based in the office and do the role.

Those rights only apply to employees returning from maternity leave though, if you are already back and in a job, you are then the same as everyone else.