Curb top pay in the city

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 12 April 2010

Our letter in Saturday's Guardian.

David Cameron would be right to call attention to a strange reversal in politics if the Conservatives were indeed the only party willing to tackle rising income inequality in Britain. In fact, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, as well as the Conservatives, are all set to make fairness and equality central to their manifestos. But as well as ideological commitments, we need concrete proposals to reduce the appalling inequality which causes so much social dysfunction.

We welcome the Conservative proposal for a maximum pay ratio within the public sector, and we hope all parties will commit to constraining top incomes. But change is most urgently needed in the private sector, which has led the way in runaway top salaries and the bonus culture. We call on all parties to back up their fair words with forceful policies, and we call on all candidates to sign our Equality Pledge at www.equalitytrust.org.uk/pledge

Prof Kate Pickett Co-Author, The Spirit Level, Kathryn Busby Policy and campaigns manager, The Equality Trust, Malcolm Clark Campaign director, One Society