Closer to equality? report published by Compass assessing New Labour's record on equality
compassoffice Wed May 30, 2007 at 05:00:42 PM GMT 
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In 1997, Peter Mandelson said “I say to the doubters, judge us after ten years in office. For one of the fruits of that success will be that Britain has become a more equal society. However, we will have achieved that result by many different routes, not just the redistribution of cash from rich to poor, which others choose as their own limited version of egalitarianism…” (Peter Mandelson, Labour’s Next Steps: Tackling Social Exclusion, Fabian Society 1997)
Taking up this challenge, we publish today a new report examining the government’s progress on equality across a range of social policy areas. The report ‘Closer to equality? Assessing New Labour’s record on equality after ten years in government’, features expert contributions from Professor Danny Dorling; Toby Lloyd; Child Poverty Action Group; Dr Katherine Rake; Gavin Hayes; Nick Johnson; Stewart Lansley; Paul Skidmore; the TGWU; and the NUT.
The report shows some enduring and even growing inequalities in key policy areas including health, wealth, workers, housing, children, education, gender, race, gay rights and democracy.
Compass’ findings, coming just a week after the publication of official figures showing inequalities persisting at Thatcher’s levels, obligate the new Labour leadership to put forward robust new plans to tackle inequality.
Report headlines show that on:
- Health, the main differences in life expectancy between best and worst parts of the UK has grown massively to 9.5 years for women and 12.3 years for men. Inequalities in mortality rates for babies born to working class parents compared to middle class parents have also grown
- Housing, 1.6 million children, 1 in 7 in Britain, are living in bad housing whilst in the last five years homeowners have on average seen a 78% rise in their asset wealth
- Race, 67% of ethnic minorities live in the 88 most deprived wards
- Democracy, the difference in voter turnout between the highest social classes and the lowest is probably wider now than at the time of the abolition of property requirements. At the last general election it had reached 17%
- Wealth, the share owned by top 1% rose from 17% in 1991 to 24% in 2002, while the bottom 50%’s share fell from 8% to 6% over the same period
The report finds that progress has been made on child poverty, parental rights and childcare and on rights for gay people.
Click here to download and read the full report
Jon Cruddas MP for Dagenham and Deputy Leadership contender, who wrote the report’s foreword, said:
“As Compass’ report shows, some real progress has been made – in education, child poverty and in gay rights for example. But there are also many areas of inequality left untackled and entrenched. Health inequalities, housing inequalities and unequal pay for men and women continue to affect people’s day to day lives. Even in those areas where we are moving in the right direction there are too many exceptions where progress has not be made.
“If we continue to be afraid of the reaction of sections of the press to an overtly pro-equality agenda then progress will always be limited. And if we fail to tell the people who are benefiting from redistribution that it’s a Labour government that is helping them – then why should they reward us at the ballot box?”
Neal Lawson, Chair of Compass, said:
“Equality is the central issue of the left’s agenda but in the crucial area of income inequality New Labour has failed to make Britain a more equal place. We must stop being scared of the media, the CBI and other forces of conservatism and make the moral, social and economic case for equality.
“A new party leader and the election of a new deputy gives Labour the opportunity to make Britain more equal. Millions can’t afford the opportunity to be missed.”
The report shows some enduring and even growing inequalities in key policy areas including health, wealth, workers, housing, children, education, gender, race, gay rights and democracy.
Compass’ findings, coming just a week after the publication of official figures showing inequalities persisting at Thatcher’s levels, obligate the new Labour leadership to put forward robust new plans to tackle inequality.
Report headlines show that on:
- Health, the main differences in life expectancy between best and worst parts of the UK has grown massively to 9.5 years for women and 12.3 years for men. Inequalities in mortality rates for babies born to working class parents compared to middle class parents have also grown
- Housing, 1.6 million children, 1 in 7 in Britain, are living in bad housing whilst in the last five years homeowners have on average seen a 78% rise in their asset wealth
- Race, 67% of ethnic minorities live in the 88 most deprived wards
- Democracy, the difference in voter turnout between the highest social classes and the lowest is probably wider now than at the time of the abolition of property requirements. At the last general election it had reached 17%
- Wealth, the share owned by top 1% rose from 17% in 1991 to 24% in 2002, while the bottom 50%’s share fell from 8% to 6% over the same period
The report finds that progress has been made on child poverty, parental rights and childcare and on rights for gay people.
Click here to download and read the full report
Jon Cruddas MP for Dagenham and Deputy Leadership contender, who wrote the report’s foreword, said:
“As Compass’ report shows, some real progress has been made – in education, child poverty and in gay rights for example. But there are also many areas of inequality left untackled and entrenched. Health inequalities, housing inequalities and unequal pay for men and women continue to affect people’s day to day lives. Even in those areas where we are moving in the right direction there are too many exceptions where progress has not be made.
“If we continue to be afraid of the reaction of sections of the press to an overtly pro-equality agenda then progress will always be limited. And if we fail to tell the people who are benefiting from redistribution that it’s a Labour government that is helping them – then why should they reward us at the ballot box?”
Neal Lawson, Chair of Compass, said:
“Equality is the central issue of the left’s agenda but in the crucial area of income inequality New Labour has failed to make Britain a more equal place. We must stop being scared of the media, the CBI and other forces of conservatism and make the moral, social and economic case for equality.
“A new party leader and the election of a new deputy gives Labour the opportunity to make Britain more equal. Millions can’t afford the opportunity to be missed.”
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