Our open letter on inequality

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30 June 2024

Dear UK Party Leaders,

We, as individuals from across civil society, business, and the academic community, write to express our concern about the lack of political will to address unfairness and inequality in the UK.

We believe that this is not only morally wrong, but is causing deep damage to our society, economy and democracy, and undermining the fight against the climate crisis.

The evidence, summarised in a report published today by the Fairness Foundation, 'The Canaries', shows that, from education and work to housing and poverty, Britain is a deeply unfair country. It also suggests that without decisive action, unfairness and inequality will only increase over the next five years, creating a vicious cycle that will block any prospect of progress on cross-party priorities such as economic growth and spreading opportunity. To take one example, the average person in the South-East of England is £195,400 wealthier than their counterpart in the North of England; this gap is projected to increase to £229,000 by 2029.

Whichever party forms the next government must take urgent action to change this worsening trajectory. Failure to act now will make us less healthy, productive, efficient, resilient and cohesive.

Reducing unfair inequality will not only unlock progress on these policy priorities, but will pay for itself over time. For example, improving housing quality will save the NHS and the social care sector £1.5 billion per year; investing in early years education will generate a 30% return for the Treasury; and every extra pound invested in HMRC enforcement will yield £18 in additional tax revenues.

Action to build a fairer Britain is popular with the public - 85% are concerned about inequality - so is politically expedient as well as morally necessary.

We call on the next government to heed this warning and to make tackling unfair inequality a top priority for the next five years, for all of our sakes.

Yours sincerely,

Will Snell, Chief Executive, Fairness Foundation Frances Crook, Trustee, Fairness Foundation  Julian Richer, Retailer, Philanthropist and Author, and Chair, Fairness Foundation Ruth Lister, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, Loughborough University Danny Dorling, Professor of Geography, University of Oxford Stuart White, Associate Professor, University of Oxford Kate Pickett, Professor of Epidemiology, University of York Richard Wilkinson, Emeritus Professor, University of Nottingham Bobby Duffy, Professor, Policy Institute, King’s College London Geraldine Van Bueren KC, Professor Emerita, Queen Mary University of London Sarah Bracking, Professor in Climate and Society, King's College London Peter Taylor-Gooby, Emeritus Professor, University of Kent  Colin Crouch, Professor Emeritus, University of Warwick Neal Lawson, Director, Compass Gary Stevenson, Economist, YouTuber and Author Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, Women's Budget Group  Andrew Dixon, Chairman, Fairer Share Robert Palmer, Executive Director, Tax Justice UK Paul McDonald, Chief Campaigns Officer, Health Equals Sarah Edwards, Executive Director, JustMoney Movement Hannah Dewhirst, Head of Campaigns, Positive Money Emeka Forbes, Chair, Z2K Ayla Ozmen, Director of Policy and Campaigns, Z2K Joe Rossiter, Co-Director, Institute of Welsh Affairs Mark Thomas, Founder, The 99% Organisation Graham Hales, Founder, Shed Light Consulting Ltd Melanie Field, Independent Adviser, Melanie Field Independent Advisory Services Chris Brown, Director, Climatise Luke Kemp, Research Associate, Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study Camila Azevedo, Head of External Affairs, Fair By Design Nick Marple, Founder, Gower St  Godfrey Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Visa Graham Hobson, Founder, Photobox Willem van Hoorn, Co-founder, Exscientia plc Timothy Stumpff, Individual

Others who signed after publication

Sally Smith, Gender Lead and Senior Researcher, Anker Research Institute Jonathan Boot, School Sports Coach, Bolton Council Paul Branch, Solicitor, Buckles Solicitors Sarah Hughes, Philanthropy Strategist, Charity21 Graham Goldstone-Creasey, Retired Minister of Religion, Church of England Stian Reimers, Professor of Psychology, City, University of London Bill Kerry, Company Secretary, Co-founder of The Equality Trust Rainer Klocke, Hospital Consultant, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust Julie Cairns, Project Manager, Durham County Council Sarah-Jayne Clifton, Executive Director, Economic Change Unit Catherine Ganzleben, Head of Enabling Systems Change, European Environment Agency Anne Smart, Retired school teacher, Extinction Rebellion Jan Tunley, Programme Coordinator, Family Action Charity Dan Feaheny, Principal, Feeney Fintech Ltd Kate Bermingham, Journalist, Freelance Juliet Koprowska, Chair, GAPS (promoting psychodynamic, systemic and relationship-based social work) Xanthe Tunley-Stainton, Grants Officer, Global Fund for Women Sam Clark-Stone, Lead Clinician Eating Disorders Service, Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust David Cobham, Professor of Economics, Heriot-Watt University Ann Roberts, Retired, Home John Snelling, Retired, Home Miles Litvinoff, Writer and editor, Independent consultant Saqib Deshmukh, Director, Insaafi CIC Robin Richardson, Website Manager, Insted Consultancy Mary Corcoran, Professor, Keele University Anita Hammer, Researcher of Work and Employment, King's College London Robert Lawson, Self employed, La Rectoria de Sant Miquel de Pineda Calix Eden, Teacher & Councillor, Labour Stuart Stuart, Senior Pastoral Assistant, Lighthouse Rachel Rachel Broady, Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores Robert Reiner, Emeritus Professor, London School of Economics Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Rebekah Foot, Chair, Lost Chances for Subpostmasters Children Christopher Carroll, Support Worker, Mencap William Robert Yates, Educator, National Union of Teachers Adrian Kendry, Former Senior Defence Economist and Adviser to Secretary General, NATO Michael Hrebeniak, Convenor, New School of the Anthropocene Linda Sharp, Professor of Cancer Epidemiology, Newcastle University Adrian Rees, Professor of Auditory Neuroscience, Newcastle University Denise Meredith, Consultant, NGOs Dan Wise, Anaesthesia Registrar, NHS Gail Hawks, Consultant Clinical Psychologist (Retired), NHS Simon Cross, Senior Lecturer, Nottingham Trent University Joycelyn May, Presenter, Portobello Radio Graham Stretch, President, Primary Care Pharmacy Association Ulrike M Dr Vieten, Lecturer, Queens University Belfast Stephen Cobb, Pubic-interest Technologist, Riskopia Peter McLaverty, Emeritus Reader, Robert Gordon University Anna Gupta, Professor, Royal Holloway University of London Brian Woods, Retired, RSPB Volunteer Marie Roberts, Project Manager, Satellite Applications Catapult Laura Boyle, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Snowball John Christensen, Chair, Stamp Out Poverty Jessica Whitcutt, Head of Marketing Communications, The Good Economy Sally Bateson, CEO, The Transform Partnership Lisa Hall, Product Manager, Travel And Tourism Nicola Countouris, Professor of Labour Law and European Law, University College London Adam Swift, Professor of Political Theory, University College London Anja Heilmann, Associate Professor, University College London Raphael Salkie, Emeritus Professor, University of Brighton Melanie Pope, Associate Professor, University of Derby Edward Barratt, Senior Lecturer, University of Essex Yusra Siddiqui, Lecturer, University of Exeter Brigid Featherstone, Emeritus Professor of Social Work, University of Huddersfield Ann Miller, Retired Senior Lecturer, University of Leicester Patricia Duncker, Emeritus Professor, University of Manchester John Holford, Robert Peers Professor of Adult Education (Emeritus), University of Nottingham John Lowe, Associate Professor (Retired), University of Nottingham in China Kathleen Kendall, Professional Fellow of Sociology as Applied to Medicine, University of Southampton Huw Davies, Professor Emeritus, University of St Andrews Andrew Marsh, Associate Professor (Reader), University of Warwick Edmund Coleman-Fountain, Lecturer, University of York Holly Smith, Research Associate, Work and Equalities Institute Danny Braverman, Author and Academic Kevin Griffin, Chartered Tax Adviser (retired) Karen Abbott, Disabled Selina Jones, Educator and Forest School Lead Beth Winter, Former MP for Cynon Valley Bob Powell, Individual Jasmin Sangha, Individual Katherine Parker, Individual Michael Rozdoba, Individual Sandra Harris, Individual Sarbani Banerjee, Individual Andrew Davies, Professor Antoinette Wynne, Retired Chris Westrup, Retired David Hammond, Retired David Woodman, Retired Maria Dresner, Retired Marion Lloyd, Retired Mary and Tony Winter, Retired Patrick Grant, Retired Pattie Horrocks, Retired Peter Rafferty, Retired Pierce O'Carroll, Retired Richard Lewis, Retired Robert Longstone, Retired Robin Asby, Retired Stephen Thomas, Retired Sue McQuinn, Retired Martin Gershman, Retired Mary Weir, Retired career guidance officer Steve Griffiths, Retired researcher Helen Wingfield, Retired teacher Catriona Cook, Retired teacher