This is the first in a series of papers which considers gauge-invariant and covariant gravitational perturbations on arbitrary vacuum locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) class II spacetimes. Ultimately, we derive four decoupled equations governing four specific combinations of the gravito-electromagnetic (GEM) 2-tensor harmonic amplitudes. We use the gauge-invariant and covariant 1+1+2 formalism which Clarkson and Barrett (2003 Class. Quantum Grav. 20 3855) developed for analysis of vacuum Schwarzschild perturbations. In particular we focus on the first-order 1+1+2 GEM system and use linear algebra techniques suitable for exploiting its structure. Consequently, we express the GEM system new 1+1+2 complex form by choosing new complex GEM tensors, which is conducive to decoupling. We then show how to derive a gauge-invariant and covariant decoupled equation governing a newly defined complex GEM 2-tensor. Finally, the GEM 2-tensor is expanded in terms of arbitrary tensor harmonics and linear algebra is used once again to decouple the system further into four real decoupled equations.