Tackling high inequality | An economic strategy for Britain

While Britons have been living with stagnant wages for the past 15 years, high inequality has been a problem for the past four decades. Having surged during the 1980s, and remained consistently high ever since, income inequality in the UK is higher than any other large European country. This is not a league table we should be aiming to top.
Despite the rising minimum wage and progressive employment gains in recent years, inequality remains stubbornly high, in large part due to the low level of basic income protection in the UK. For many decades, working-age benefits have risen only in line with prices, rather than earnings. Coupled with cuts since 2010, this has reduced the incomes of the poorest fifth by almost £3,000 a year.
But it doesn’t need to be like this. An economic strategy which delivers shared wage growth, rising employment, and progressive changes to the tax and benefit system, would significantly raise living standards for millions of households on low and middle incomes, and reduce poverty too.
Read our full recommendations on how we can tackle high inequality and deliver inclusive growth in the final report of The Economy 2030 Inquiry: economy2030.resolutionfoundat...

[@johnkinsey7334]

Thank you both for this excellent overview of the growth and inequality challenges facing the new UK government. The discussion of the causes, consequences and possible remedies for the present appalling levels of income inequality is especially valuable.

[@user-fb3yf2xb2z]

Good video. To me the Resolution Foundation has more quality observations, and evidence-based suggestions for improvement, rather than the Trussel Trust which seems to promote food banks where in reality there is a huge amount of poor quality nuritition within that space (often due to difficult circumstances, difficulties offering easy to consume/dried-or-minimal cook items, for easier storage longer life on shelves). Those trapped in food bank use, may put off starving, but with a longer term outcome of very poor nutrition based on ingredients liable to directly increase diabetes, vitamin insufficiency, cognitive ill health, excessive sugars / refined carbs at expense of quality filling proteins and other macronutrients. All this contributing to poorer mental and physical health, and their direct consequences even if the initial success is an obviously helpful one of not starving! Somehow for the future we need healthier food banks and low cost food cooking skills education for those with means to do so.