Submitted by Bill Kerry on 7 October 2011

A quiet and rather strange week for the Conservatives in Manchester where talk of inequality was rather thin on the ground...

Submitted by Bill Kerry on 30 September 2011

There were more encouraging signs this week that political leaders in the UK and in Europe are beginning to feel a little bolder about calling for policies that promote the common good.

Submitted by Bill Kerry on 21 September 2011

Politicians here and in the US appear to be facing up to the obvious (but long avoided) need to bring richer folk back into the policy-mix if we are going to survive prolonged austerity and steady the economy. This can only be good news but, as ever, we need actions and not just words.

Submitted by Laura Vanderbloemen on 16 September 2011

I am at Church House near Westminster Abbey for the launch of the new UNICEF report on child well-being. I'm surrounded by beautiful old buildings, beautiful old trees, and quiet. Oh and there are young people wandering around in athletic shorts paired with wool blazer - I'm guessing this is typically worn by children who attend an independent school nearby.

Submitted by Bill Kerry on 8 September 2011

The next time someone tries to convince you that we are all in this together and that we have to endure a period of austerity you might like to draw their attention to Nicholas Shaxson's Treasure Islands: tax havens and the men who stole the world.

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 31 August 2011

The August edition of our supporter newsletter Among Equals is out now.

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 25 August 2011

The UK's first festival of social justice will take place next month, organised by the Dartington Hall Trust. 

Interrogate! festival 2011 will take a fresh look at income inequality, its impact and what we can all do about it. Through performance, music, debate, comedy, film, workshops, podcast and ideas, the festival aims to inspire people to take action.

For further information and to book please visit www.dartington.org/interrogate

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 23 August 2011

We are looking for two people to join our steering group and contribute to our planning, governance, fundraising and future development. Closing date: 1st September.

Further details here.

Submitted by Bill Kerry on 19 August 2011

Trickledown was a lovely theory. The fact it didn't work was never a deterrent to our politicians who have allowed themselves to be guided by it for decades. To be fair, its failure was always disguised behind a huge bubble of debt (both public and private) which is now deflating to reveal the tangled mess of inequality, social dysfunction and economic stagnation hidden behind. 

Submitted by Bill Kerry on 10 August 2011

A particularly insightful piece from the founder of Kids Company on the riots…

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 27 July 2011

Freelance researcher Anna Barford's article on the myth of "the happy poor".

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 25 July 2011

We are looking for two people to join our steering group and contribute to our planning, governance, fundraising and future development.

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 21 July 2011

We are now also asking Members of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly Members to sign the Equality Pledge.

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 18 July 2011

The Office for National Statistics has found that taxes have made little difference to inequality. Learn more...

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 14 July 2011

On 4th May, six MPs sponsored the following Early Day Motion (EDM 1775):

That this House notes the findings of The Equality Trust that societies with smaller income differences between rich and poor have fewer health and social problems, such as teenage births, violence, mental illness and drug abuse; further notes that such societies have higher levels of trust between citizens and more social mobility; and therefore encourages the Government to promote policies that reduce income inequality.

So far 99 MPs have signed up.

Submitted by Hector Rufrancos on 5 July 2011

The second of our quarterly Research Digests is out today. It deals with trends and measures in income inequality. This is quite an exciting topic as it is not very well known.

Some of the key points from the Digest are:

• UK income inequality increased by 32% between 1960 and 2005. During the same period, it increased by 23% in the USA, and in Sweden decreased by 12%. 

• In the 1960s Sweden and the UK had similar levels of income inequality. By 2005 the gap between the two had increased by 28%.

• Since the 1980s income inequality in the United States and the UK has increased substantially and has returned to levels not seen since the 1920s. 

• The growth in inequality in the last 30 years has been driven by the top 1% of wage incomes. 

• Inequality measures drawn from standard household surveys underestimate income inequality by as much as 10 percentage points, due to the under–representation of the top 1% of incomes.

• There is scope for governments to tackle inequality. Income inequality need not be inevitable; Sweden owes its high levels of equality to policies introduced since the 50s.

 Read the rest of the digest PDF

Submitted by Bill Kerry on 28 June 2011

Our next research digest on trends and measures of income inequality will be released next week. Our digests are quarterly and aim to summarise the latest academic papers on a particular subject (whereas our occasional research bulletins present the findings made in a single paper). 

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 23 June 2011

Co-operatives Fortnight begins this Saturday. Find out more

Submitted by Bill Kerry on 14 June 2011

The recent report from the Institute for Public Policy Research confirms what we have long known - that income inequality is too high in the UK and the public wants action to deal with it.

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 27 May 2011

The May edition of our supporter newsletter Among Equals is out now.