The principle in detail

Rich or poor, everyone should have equality of status in our society. Economic inequality should not translate into social inequality; resources should not affect relationships. We should all be treated with dignity and respect, as well as enjoying basic liberties and equality before the law. Nor should economic inequality create political inequality; we should all have equal influence on politics and policymaking, rather than allowing a situation in which politicians’ priorities and decisions are weighted towards the interests of the well-off (who vote more often) as well as the very wealthy (who buy influence through donations, investments, lobbying and the media).

Where we are today

Today in Britain, 69% of people say that they have no say in what the government does, and 19% feel unfairly treated by society, while the wealthiest people emit 25 times more carbon emissions than the poorest.

What the public think

75% of Britons think that the very rich have too much influence on politics in the UK, and 34% think that the very rich have the most power in society (compared with 24% who feel that governments are most powerful).

What to do about it

Policy solutions to the absence of fair treatment in the UK include tighter regulation of lobbying and of donations to political parties and the media, and electoral reform (perhaps even compulsory voting).