Speech on a "New Direction for the Labour Party" Motion 3

"Chair, Forum, Gloria Hanson, Greater London Region, moving motion 3 – A new direction for the Labour Party. Accepting the amendment from Scottish region.

Forum, I’m not here to sing the praises of the Labour Party and the Last Labour Government. But I could.

Equally I am not here to try and bury them either, which I could as well.

Instead what this motion is concerned about is making sure that at the next General election the Labour Party has a simple and clear overriding policy that not will not only inspire and unite us, but would be a platform to victory and give a mandate for the most far reaching and radical Labour government since 1945.  

Our society has become more and more unequal in recent years and decades. The gap between the rich and the poor, has become bigger and bigger. For decade after decade this gap has now become a gulf. It is now time not only to stop this – but to reverse it 

In the past this forum has agreed with the research found in the Book “The Spirit Level” that the more unequal the society in terms of income, the greater the ill health, the shorter the life expectancy;

The more unequal the society, the greater the crime rate, the shorter the schooling.  

Forum, Income inequality kills, it destroys people’s lives, if wreaks our society and divides us into the few haves, the many have nots... and the remaining... have nothing. 

So forum we know what the problem is – next we have to decide what to do about it?

The most successful societies in the world are therefore those who have the smallest gap between the rich and the poor. No society is perfect; no society is an absolute model for our island to choose.

But there are two facts things about more equal and successful societies.  One is that they have much higher rates of progressive taxation and public spending. 

The second fact is the gap between top and the bottom in terms of pay is simply, much, much lower. 

So the answer Forum is the next Labour government must be brave, it must be decisive. It must legislate for progressive taxation to pay for improved public services. Next it must also legislate and take action to bring down the pay of the rich and bring up the wages of our people.

Let us have a living wage not a minimum wage,  Let us end the scandal of public subsidy for bad employers who don’t pay decent wages; Let us follow the lead of the new French socialist president and lower the salaries of top public servants,  Let us as they do in many other countries let us put worker representatives on the boards of all companies; Let us rebuild an economy that delivers good jobs on decent money and not one built on financial speculation

We need our Party, our Labour Party to agree to promise to reduce income inequality by the end of its term and to take the necessary political and economic action to achieve this goal. 

What we want Forum is not rocket science. It is a plain and simple. We want a better society for ourselves and our children and this is one of the ways to achieve it.  

A society based on Fairness and need which will benefit all. Finally Forum, in one way this is not really about a new direction for our party - as a much needed return to our roots.  

Forum I move" 

UNISON NDC 12: Income Inequality

Gloria Hanson, Regional Delegate and Regional Convenor for the Greater London Region, moving composite E – Income Inequality.

UNISON has a tremendous track record in fighting inequality. But there is one form we seem to have stopped talking about. Income inequality. Wealth discrimination. As my mum would say – the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

I know I don’t need to tell you this.  But it’s time to go back to basics. To expose the ever increasing gulf between rich and poor.

Today the richest 10%of the UK population own more than 100 times the wealth of the bottom 10%. What an absolute disgrace .

This is the biggest gap in wealth since the Second World War. What’s even more frightening is that the gap is becoming a gulf.

At work, income inequality causes low staff morale; resentment and mistrust from clients, residents and services users alike – where the ordinary worker earns chicken feed in comparison to the chief executive. Even ‘not for profit’ organisations are jumping on the bandwagon - paying huge salaries to senior managers and slashing pay and terms & conditions of those of us who actually provide services and do the job.‘not for profit’ organisations are jumping on the bandwagon - paying huge salaries to senior managers and slashing pay and terms & conditions of those of us who actually provide services and do the job.

 

The book "the spirit level" has shown a clear link between income inequality, health and social problems. If you haven’t read it –do; you won’t regret it. It proves that the smaller the gap between rich and poor, the more successful the society is. If we reduce levels of income inequality in the UK we could increase life expectancy, decrease infant mortality rates, reduce crime and achieve better education attainment for our children.

Countries where the gap between the top and bottom earners is almost non-existent like Cuba; prove it - 　　 improved mortality rates; quality free healthcare for all; quality free healthcare for all; lowest crime rates in all of Latin America; lowest crime rates in all of Latin America; 99.8 percent literacy rate.  They’ve got it right; all workers sharing the wealth of the country

But back to - ‘we’re all in this together Britain’. I’d like to know exactly WHO is in WHAT together;

The Tories are so divorced from reality. A reality where bankers – who we all know caused the financial crisis - are once again earning bonuses of millions of pounds each year. Whilst ordinary workers are still barely earning the minimum wage.  Having to do two or three jobs to put food on the table and simply pay soaring bills.

This Tory government is robbing the poor to stuff the bank accounts of the rich. Cameron; Clegg and Osborne are no Robin Hood or merry men; and I certainly don’t want to see them in green tights!

The Government isn’t listening; it’s blithely continuing with its agenda. So what is the answer?

Let’s go back to why trade unions were formed in the first place, why we formed the labour party over 100 years ago ......to campaign for workers and the working class.  We need to remember our roots and lead the way in the fight for a fair and just society. Work with other like minded organisations; campaign for laws to ensure income regulation in the public sector.

In the London region we have affiliated to the Equality Trust; and will work with them to raise this issue with our members and keep them informed of the facts. We must elect politicians with enough bottle to tackle this; to work with us to win a society where workers earn what they are due and not a pittance because the rest is in the pockets of the fat cats; chiefs and bosses

As a mother I want a better future for my children and for their children.  As a life-long Labour party member; I want Labour to be brave politicians who will grasp this nettle and return Britain to the workers.

As a trade unionist, I want my union to work within the Labour Party to campaign for this policy to make Britain a fairer place to live and work.  Workers across Britain know what’s wrong; but they don’t know how to fix it – we need to lead the way.

Conference – I move

The Spirit Level Documentary

WHAT IS THE SPIRIT LEVEL?

“The Spirit Level” is an award-winning book which uses rigorous analysis of 25 years of research to show how a more equal society is better for all of us, including the rich. It shows how nearly all social ills - stress, poor educational performance, high crime rates, unwanted teenage pregnancies - are more common in those societies with a big gap between rich and poor.
It has been published in over 20 countries, has sold over 100,000 copies in the UK and won first prize in the Bristol Festival of Ideas. Lynsey Hanley in the Guardian said, It’s impossible to overstate the implications of (this) thesis", The Economist stated “It is a sweeping claim, yet the evidence, here painstakingly marshalled, is hard to dispute”. The New Statesman listed it as one of their top ten books of the decade. It’s impact has been so great that it has provoked numerous attacks from organisations that support low taxes for the rich such as the Taxpayers’ Alliance (“we oppose all tax rises”) and Policy Exchange (“the most influential think tank on the right”)"
(from their campaign page http://www.indiegogo.com/spiritlevelfilm)

Why Income Equality at Work is better for everyone

This is my speech to the UNISON London Regional Council AGM last week on Motion 4 "Why Income Equality at Work is better for everyone". Which was passed and selected as a regional motion to send to our national conference.

"Council, Convenor, John  Gray Housing Assocaition Branch moving motion 4. "Why Income Equality at Work is better for everyone". Council, Let us not forget that it is not just the Bankers and the Executives in the private sector who have been filling their pockets with other peoples money to a degree out of all recognition to their worth. In the traditional public sector and in supposedly “Not for profit” organisations, who provide public services, you also find that many Executives and members of the SMT have in recent years, enjoyed massive pay rises and massive increases in their income. We use the example of the CEO of the housing and social care association, Anchor, who earned over 330k last year - up 14%. At a time when many of her employees, doing a difficult and demanding job, caring for the frail and the vulnerable, earn little more than minimum wage. Nearly 30 times less.

For crying out aloud, Anchor Housing, was originally set up by the respected charity “Help the Aged”. This pattern of greed at the top for a few and poverty for the many at the bottom is repeated in many other private and public organisations providing public services up and down the country.

This issue is not just about fairness or social justice nor is it about the so called “politics of envy”. Such vast and growing inequalities in income are not just morally wrong it is deeply damaging and destructive to those organisations that allow it.

In the same way as researchers for the book “The Spirit Level” found compelling evidence that the more unequal societies are, with regard to incomes, the more rotten the society. The more unequal the greater the death rates of new born babies; the greater the levels of mental illness; the greater the drug abuse; the greater the violence; the greater the ignorance and squalor. It is ironic that the day after the 200th birthday of the birth of Charles Dickens, we still find in our own Capital city, one of the very richest cities in the world, that your life expectancy, how long you live, is determined largely by how affluent the postal code is in the area you happen to have been born in.

With regard to income inequality in the work place it is not enough for us to simply condemn but to explain to our members how harmful it is not only to society but to that workplace– If you are managed by not just highly paid or people on a good earning but the super rich; while most workers struggle to keep their head above the water - it is corrosive it is divisive. It causes low staff morale and poor service; it causes resentment and mistrust from our clients, residents and services users who after all have to pay for all this inequality.

We are told that there is no choice, competition is king, the market must decide the rate of pay, yet there is a choice. There are successful modern countries in the world such as Sweden where there is much, much less inequality. Where for example trade unions reps sit on boards and remuneration committees as a matter of course. They have done this for decades and act on as a brake on greed. There are countries such as Japan were if there are economic problems, managers become leaders and will often be the first to volunteer for pay curbs or restraint. Unlike in my sector, where yesterday I found out that staff at project being tuped over to a supposed charity, who had won a tender, were told by this charity that they had to have pay cuts and low jobs since they had to “pay their way” to keep to the new contract. While at the same time the SMT of that organisation pays itself massive bonuses to reward themselves for winning new business. This culture, this attitude, this view of life, can and must change.

The Equality Trust is the charitable arm set up by the authors of the Spirit level to promote income equality. Please also consider affiliating your own branches to them. Next week they are coming to my branch AGM to speak to us about what we can do to help bring about change.

Finally Council remember that greater income equality at the work place will make it a better place and help bring about greater income equality in our society, which will make it a better world for all.

Thank you please support this motion (orignal motion similar to this)

UNISON Housing Association Branch AGM 2012

My Union Branch AGM takes place on Thursday 16 February 2012 at the new UNISON headquarters in Euston (5 minutes walk from either Euston or Kings Cross station). I have been re-elected unopposed as Branch Secretary. We will hold two separate meetings during the day and evening to try and maximise attendance.  All branch members welcome!

Our guest speaker will be Sean Baine, the Co-Chair of the London Equality Trust on "Why inequality is bad for all of us - and what we should do about it".  There is also a motion to be debated on income inequality in Housing Associations. The Equality Trust was set up by the authors of the "The Spirit Level". 

I will try to arrange a visit beforehand to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson museum which is inside the UNISON building. 

Labour, Trade unions, SPGB, the Anarchist President, Bill, Dave and John

Last month I took part in a debate organised by the Socialist Party (Great Britain) on "Should trade unionists support the Labour Party?" They did record the event and I was hoping to link to it, but it seems that there was some technical problem. Which was a shame since I thought it was actually quite a good debate.  Bill Martin from the SPGB (a UNISON activist) spoke against the motion.  He also chaired the meeting and was at all times polite and courteous. 

There was of course a completely wide gulf between us. The SPGB is a Marxist, anti-capitalist, revolutionary Party.  Readers of this blog might possibly have noticed that I am not. They are also "anti-Leninist" and "anti-Stalinist" and were completely dismissive of various Trotsky newspaper sellers (I make no comment). There was only 15 people present (including the anarchist President of the NUJ)

I argued that "my kind of socialism is one politically based on parliamentary democracy, and economically, a true mixed and balanced economy of publicly owned services, mutually and privately owned enterprises, all properly regulated, subject to democrat scrutiny, the law and a truly progressive tax system. While socially a successful Socialist Society must be one that is equal and free. Open, tolerant, and most importantly, supportive of dissenting views".

I mentioned my family background and The Spirit Level. In my view trade unionists should not only support the Labour Party, but take an active part in the Party arguing within for change. Bill made a number of points about the role and nature of trade unions and the argument that it is better for unions to be aliened to no particular political party.

I had a top Labour ringer with me, Dave Draycott.  Dave is the Unite Branch secretary for Leeds City and also a Labour Party Councillor in Calderdale.  It was the first time Dave and I had ever met up in person (rather via email or social media). In the Q&A that followed he made (in my view) a number of forceful and well made points. In particular the need for a true plurality in any socialist society to prevent the inevitable tendency to oppression, that you get in any society where any single political or economic belief is dominant.

Afterword we all went to the local pub and continued the debate. The SPGB have some interesting characters. One very forthright and vocal SPGB member had been brought up in a London working class family who "worshipped Mosley".  Another, use to be the secretary to the National Coal Board Pension scheme.  With my pension governance hat on we had an interesting conversation about "Arthur" and  Cowan v Scargill. He had also enjoyed hugely this post.

Update: Bill (aka Deathy) has let me know that he is sure that the vocal recording of the debate did work and he will chase it being posted on their website.

Council Speech on Income Inequality (and some other stuff)

This is my speech on Monday evening at the Newham Council meeting. "Chair, Council, John Gray, West Ham Ward, speaking tonight on my personal views, about why greater income equality is better for everyone in our society and the evidence from the Book “The Spirit Level” to back up this assertion.

While I am sure that all of us in this chamber share a belief in progressive politics, in making our borough and our country a more equal and more just society, often we cannot agree on the way to build Jerusalem, in our green & pleasant Newham. We would all like to see greater income equality, especially for those living in poverty but we need to have a wider understanding on the causes and impact of poverty before we decide how best to tackle it.

A major problem for those who see themselves on the Left of politics is that that many think that socialism generally was discredited by the failure of Marxist states such as the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Not only their economic failure but also by the repression and the loss of personal freedoms.

Although the Labour Party itself has always been shaped more by Methodism than Marx, in my view and others, the Left has indeed lost its way and it has also been losing the all important Battle of Ideas to the Right.

This retreat by the Left and the resulting rise of the Neo-liberal Right was the main reason for the disastrous Financial services and Banking collapse in 2008. Which we are still paying the price for today and for the foreseeable future. 

However it is no use for the Left just simply wanting or wishing an alternative economy. It must be based on rigorous economic and empirical research. If the old socialist certainties of nationalisation and control of the means of production, distribution and exchange are no longer - what can take its place? 

The book "The Spirit Level" is I believe an important contribution to a new research based economic alterative. It was written by respected academics Professor Richard Wilkinson and Professor Kate Pickett and was first published in 2009 and an updated version in November 2010. They examined 30 years of national and international research. It is not a “theory of everything” which they are sometimes accused.

What this research found was that there was a clear statistical link in the developed countries of the world between income inequality, health and social problems. The smaller the gap between rich and poor, the more successful society was in terms of health and social problems. Based on this research, if the UK reduced the levels of inequality in our country, we could find increase in life expectancy, decrease in infant mortality; reduced crime (including murder), less mental illness and ill-health, less drug abuse and better educational attainment for our children. 

To me one of the great ironies coming out of the research was that they found that not only was greater income equality better for the poor, but it was also better for the rich to live in a more equal society. The health and social benefits of the rich as well as the poor improve. 

Once you identify the more equal and more successful societies you can then examine what you can do to change our society and make it more equal and more successful for all.  There are two main ways of reducing income inequality:-

1. Smaller differences in pay between the top and bottom earners before tax (like in Japan)

2. Redistribution through taxes and benefits from richer to the poor (like in Sweden)

I won’t go into the remedies since this is a topic in itself but it does seem to me that politically the pay of top executives in the private and the public sector is in the news and being discussed while the idea that we should actively redistribute by higher taxes and benefits is not currently on the agenda. Yet I think that there must be a combination of restraint at the top and support for the vulnerable at the bottom. 

The Right have of course attacked the Spirit Level research because they say it interferes “in the Market”, and that the “Market knows best”. As 2008 showed us, the market is not always right, it does need at times, regulating and moderating in the interests of a better society. A society which again, I stress benefits everyone, the rich and the poor. So let us go on now to win the Battle of Ideas. The Banking crisis for the Right should be the equivalent of the fall of the Soviet Union to the Left. Let us create a new society, a New Jerusalem based on statistical evidence of what works and what doesn’t, not the outdated dogma or wishful thinking of the past. Thank you.

Why Income Equality at work is better for everyone

Further to the outrageous pay cuts to low paid staff proposed by the Loadsofmoney CEO of Family Mosaic. This motion has been submitted

to the UNISON Community Conference next year.

Why Income Equality at work is better for everyone
This conference notes the gross inequality in pay at many Housing Associations. “Inside Housing” reports that 58 Chief Executives earn more than the Prime Minster, while the highest earner, Jane Ashcroft of Anchor (established in 1968 by “Help the Aged”) received £331,250 - up 14 per cent on last year.

At the same time many workers in the sector existed on the minimum wage rate of just £5.93 per hour. This means that the most highly paid Executive got £26,605 per month while many of the lowest paid got just £949. This is nearly 30 times more.

The book “The Spirit Level” by research scientists Professors Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett demonstrate that excessive income inequality in society results in premature death, greater levels of mental illness, drug abuse, poor education attainment, imprisonment, violence and obesity. Societies that are more equal such as Sweden and Japan are more successful for everyone in all measurable ways. Both the rich and the poor benefit.  This conference believes:-

That Housing Associations should recognise that internal income inequality is as bad for its workers and residents as it is for the wider society. It is corrosive, divisive and destructive. Profiteering for the few threatens the raison d’être for the entire sector. It results in poor staff morale and industrial relations, mistrust from residents and a reputational political risk to the whole sector.

If Housing Associations believe that they need to reduce their cost base to compete for contracts they should firstly cut the pay of their Senior Management Team.

We support the recommendations of the Hutton report on Fair Pay that “every public body should annually publish the multiple of top to median pay in a clear and presentable way” and that employee representatives should be on the Executive Remuneration Committees.

Every single worker whether directly employed or subcontracted should receive at least a Regional living wage rate. This conference calls on:-

Our Service Group Executive to campaign for greater Income Equality, using the press and media, working with the National Housing Federation if possible, and lobbying Government.

The Service Group Executive to explore affiliating to the Equality Trust

To request Labour Link campaigns for statutory regulation of pay multiples in Housing Association’s, increased public spending to combat poverty and fair progressive levels of income taxation.

(there is an amendment adding an action point which might cause problems with standing orders) 

Secure affordable homes for all: A policy for the next Government

This picture is from the Newham Compass meeting held last week at East Thames Housing Association headquarters in Stratford, E15 on the key issue of "affordable housing".

East Thames Housing Association Chief Executive Officer, June Barnes, (right) spoke first and set the scene about the horrendous housing shortage. She thinks that the new affordable rent model may well result in 170,000 new homes nationally but is risky to housing associations and a "one-off" that cannot be repeated. 

Next (on the left) is the Chair of Carpenters Estate Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), Eddie Benn. Eddie talked about the history of the TMO and what they had achieved as a resident led organisation and the future difficulties they face.

Finally, Labour London Assembly member Nicky Gavron (middle of picture) talked about the failure of Tory Mayor Johnson to deliver on his housing promises and the threat to hundreds of thousands of  Londoners by savage  cuts in grants, allowances, benefits and security of tenure. The vulnerable and the working poor will be "cleansed" out of most of London. 

I enjoyed this event but will agree with the remarks of one of those who also attended "...Speakers were excellent although I did leave feeling dispirited listening to able people applying their ingenuity to squeezing the best policies they could from the current situation while knowing all the time they would be woefully inadequate".

The meeting was chaired by Newham Compass, Christopher Owens (rear of picture).  The next event possibly will to invite one of the authors of "The Spirit Level". 

Panorama - All Work and Low Pay

Check out last night's BBC TV Panorama expose here of UK work exploitation and pay cuts.  The picture right is a frame from the programme which featured the recent strike by Scottish "Charity"
Quarriers over a 20-25 pay cut for their staff.

In probably one of the worlds worse PR performances the TV presenter asked the Quarriers CEO why he wasn't having a 20% pay cut himself? He responded that it would not make any difference if he cut his own pay.

No difference...hmmm... apart from the obvious arguments about leadership and setting an example, surely it would make a difference to costs if the management senior management team were to "share the misery" equally and take 20-25% cuts in their pay (and perks)?  Don't CEO's "get it" that organisations were there is such blatant inequalities end up being "failing" organisations in the same way as the book "The Spirit Level", argues (convincingly in my view) that countries that are more equal are more successful in every aspect.

The programme is on BBC iPlayer until 16 October 2011.

The Battle's of Matewan and Blair Mountain

Hat tip to Andy Newman at Socialist Unity for this remarkable post on 1920's bloody shoot outs between West Virgina coal miners and Company strike breakers.  The clip is from the 1987 film by John Sayles.

We have this image of a capitalist and conservative America, especially in the "West".   While I remember being astonished by Paul Mason's (BBC Newsnight Editor) book "Live Working or Die Fighting" about just how radical the Labour movement in the United States of America use to be. 

I also recall one of the authors of "The Spirit Level", Professor Richard Wilkinson at this year's UNISON conference being asked a question about what reaction they got when they visited the United States (which gets a lot of stick in their book because of its huge income inequality).  He replied that the US is such a divided society that they have always had a really positive reception on their book tours and lectures.  So there is still support out there for "radical" policies. 

"Something radical" Housing Policy? Shadow Minister speaks to Branch Labour Link

s.On Wednesday evening the Labour Shadow Minister for Housing, Alison Seabeck MP, was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of

UNISON Housing Association branch Labour Link. This took place in the House of Commons.

UNISON National Officer, Mike Short, spoke first about how some employers (not all) are using the "cuts" as an excuse to attack their own workers while others are trying to invent "creative" reasons to evade their responsibilities under TUPE transfers.  Not only are jobs, pay and conditions under threat but also even union rights to organise and defend their members.  We need to campaign, regionally and nationally, against government policy with local community groups.  Win the argument with the public that we are not to blame for the deficit.

Alison Seabeck is of course a politician but also a widely respected housing expert, unlike her floundering ministerial opponent.  She spoke for 10 minutes then rushed off and voted against the (awful) Tory Coalition "Health and Social Care" Bill before coming back to continue.  The single most interesting thing (amongst many) that she said, in response to a question about what a future Labour Government would do over housing, was once in power, the housing crisis could be simply so profoundly bad that "we may have to do something radical..." and similar to the what was done "after the Second World War" do deal with the crisis. 

Bring on that Labour Government!

There was a lively Q&A with Alison, members bringing up problems in the sector for workers and residents.  I asked a question about low pay and the unacceptable level of top executive pay in our sector, using the example of the strike the previous day by UNISON members in the Scottish Charity "Quarriers" (who are facing up to 23% cuts in wages).  I pointed to research in "The Spirit Level" that unequal societies are destructive for everyone and that the same principle would apply to unequal organisations. Alison was I think genuinely horrified at staff wages being cut.  She also agreed that excessive pay for executives  was wrong and that as a start, all such employers should publish the salaries of everyone in their organisation and this may shame them into doing something about it.  She brought up the example of her own Constituency in Plymouth where the Tory City Council is trying to trying to cut the wages of its workforce and de-recognise UNISON, while its own Chief executive is paid huge amounts of money.

After the meeting, some of us went off to the Red Lion pub in Whitehall to continue to put the housing world to rights, where we met UNISON and TULO activists who had just come back from the candle vigil for the NHS.  (Picture of Alison 5th from left)

"Bang ‘em up" but don’t throw away the key of income equality

 I’ve always thought that this New Labour slogan “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime" makes perfect sense. So first things first.  The relatively tiny number of ignorant, selfish, no marks, who have been thieving, threatening and burning, deserve everything that is coming to them.

500 have been nicked in London alone and rest assured that in the coming weeks and months many more will find their front doors being smashed in at dawn by Police armed with arrest warrants. They will also find that the Courts (e.g. Bradford riots) consider such crimes have a “substantial aggravating feature" and they will face exemplary sentences. I’m also sure social landlords will be serving eviction notices on those found guilty of trashing their own communities (or their parents who are responsible for their behaviour). Despite the ample evidence to the contrary, these criminals have free will and are responsible for their own behaviour and must face its consequences. They also know they have done wrong.  

Now the more difficult stuff. “Tough on the causes of crime”. Why have these British citizens, overwhelmingly brought up and educated in this land, decided to act in such a way? Why are they so disconnected with mainstream society? Why the materialistic greed and lust for tacky Primark clothing and cheap Argus electronics? Why don’t other European countries very similar to us in so many other ways, have these such problems? Why the degree of violence and wanton destruction?

I am not going to play the Party political game. While I don’t for a moment think that the Bankers recession and the unnecessary Government cuts haven’t contributed to all this, I think the problem is deeper and wider.  Why us? Is there something wrong with our society?

Maybe this helps explain - why is it that societies that are more unequal statistically have more crime, more violence, more people in prison, more murders, more drug addiction problems, more mental heath illness, more teenage births, less social mobility, less trust and less community spirit.  Is income inequality, the gap between the rich and the poor a major reason for our riots? Please note that I do not simply equate poverty with crime. The vast majority of all people in London who happen to live in deprived neighbourhoods are deeply ashamed of the behaviour of the criminal few. But could income equality  help explain the last few days?  I'm not that interested in blame, I'm more interested in exploring solutions.

Is it only a coincidence that in the UK (and especially London) we have suffered such disturbstances while at the same time we experience such a huge (and growing) disparity in income inequality?  

Check out “The Spirit Level: Why Equality is better for everyone” for some possible answers.

To change things and be really tough on crime and for a possible better quality of life for all, I think we need to look at the evidence of what happens if you have such a gulf between rich and the poor - then act.