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Assessing New Labour's Record on Equality After 10 Years in Government

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Assessing New Labour's Record on Equality After 10 Years in Government The test of any Labour government is whether it leaves the country“ more equal than it found it. Labour has kept its head above the water – just. But social mobility is still going backwards and the GINI co-efficient, the internationally accepted measure of inequality, is slightly worse for the UK now than in 1997. This is not good enough and should be a sobering closer to thought as we move into a new era of Labour government. We must build on the progress to date, and accept that the challenge we face is greater than that anticipated a decade ago. Progress for some must be translated to progress for all. equality? Every day, not another ten years from now, we have to subject ourselves to the same scrutiny and face the same judgement – are we making Britain more equal? We have to ensure the will, the means and the public support to make it happen. ” Assessing New Labour’s record on equality after 10 years in government Southbank House, Black Prince Road, London SE1 7SJ T: +44 (0) 207 463 0632 [email protected] www.compassonline.org.uk Closer to equality? Assessing New Labour’s record on equality after 10 years in government Contents Introduction 3 Jon Cruddas MP Health 6 Professor Danny Dorling Housing 11 Toby Lloyd Children 17 Child Poverty Action Group Workers 21 Simon Nunn TGWU Race 24 Nick Johnson Women 27 Katherine Rake, Fawcett Society Gay equality 30 Gavin Hayes Education 33 Steve Sinnott NUT Wealth 37 Stewart Lansley Democracy 40 Paul Skidmore Notes 44 Introduction Jon Cruddas MP “I say to the doubters, judge us after across economic and social issues to ten years in office. For one of the begin to answer Peter Mandelson’s call. fruits of that success will be that Contributors were asked to assess the Britain has become a more equal good, the bad, the indifferent and to society. However, we will have make key policy proposals for the achieved that result by many different future in their respective fields. routes, not just the redistribution of The publication touches on many cash from rich to poor, which others areas – and includes contributions on choose as their own limited version wealth; workers; health; housing; of egalitarianism…” children; education; gender; race; gay (Peter Mandelson Labour’s Next Steps: Tackling rights and democracy. Of course there Social Exclusion, Fabian Society 1997) are many more important issues to judge New Labour’s record on- It has been the historic role of the equality for disabled people; for people Labour Party to fight inequality in all with mental health problems; in the its forms and in 1997, with a clear criminal justice system; in the context democratic mandate, New Labour set of globalisation, to name a few, but out to make Britain a more equal place. Compass has made a start. As the leadership of the Labour Party As this report shows, real progress changes and the Labour Party is in the has been made in some areas – in position of being able to renew itself in education, in gay rights, in racial government, now more than ever it is equality for example. Britain is a better vital that we make a genuine and place because it elected Labour in 1997. honest assessment of Labour’s record But there are also many examples of on equality. inequality left untackled and I welcome Compass’ pamphlet as a entrenched. Health inequalities, timely intervention. They have housing inequalities and unequal pay commissioned ‘verdicts’ from leading for men and women continue to affect experts, academics and campaigners people’s day to day lives. Even in those 4 Closer to equality? areas where we are moving in the right To date, few of the best advances direction there are too many excep- made by the government in redistrib- tions where significant progress has uting wealth have been done with the failed to be made. fanfare they deserve. Some may think We will all have a view on whether that has a short-term tactical the equality glass is half empty or half advantage, but it chokes off the full. Turning around the inequalities sustainable advances we need to build caused by the Thatcher years was the progressive consensus the left wants. If we continue to be afraid of the reaction of sections of the press to an overtly pro-equality agenda then “If we continue to be progress will always be limited. And if afraid of the reaction of we fail to tell the people who are bene- fiting from redistribution that it’s a sections of the press to Labour government that is helping an overtly pro-equality them – then why should they reward us at the ballot box? agenda then progress Equality is the central issue for the will always be limited left of centre. Attitudes to equality ” differentiate left from right. The left is defined by its commitment to make society more equal. The right are against greater equality. Of course it is always going to take time but we need a relative concept. Today’s poor are to assess whether we are laying down better off than the poor of the past but the right conditions to continue to the employment, housing and health make real and significant progress. inequalities they face remain stark and The advances made to date have their exclusion is just as painful. For been when the economy is strongest example, Michael Marmot and Richard and the Labour’s majorities the largest. Wilkinson have conclusively proved What happens when the economy is that relative difference in wealth make not so strong and the majorities are the poor more likely to suffer from slimmer? Will we and, have we now, mental illness and die much earlier. the public support we need to make the Equality cannot be not about compas- country more equal? sion or feeling sorry for people. It must Introduction 5 be about ensuring equal worth, equal Some ultra-Blairites have tried to reward and ending discrimination. argue that only work ends poverty. But Greater equality is of course prob- a social state must be able to defend the lematic because the huge rewards lives and opportunities of those who enjoyed by those at very the top of the cannot work or who are in the low- income bracket. They are distorting wage jobs. society and recreating Victorian levels The test of any Labour government is of class distinctions as conspicuous whether it leaves the country more equal consumption, obscene financial than it found it. Labour has kept its head rewards and a new servant class are above the water – just. But social returning after an absence of over a mobility is still going backwards and the century. GINI co-efficient, the internationally Peter Mandelson once said he was accepted measure of inequality, is slightly relaxed about people becoming filthy worse for the UK now than in 1997. This rich. While we have moved beyond the is not good enough and should be a class war rhetoric of the past, we do sobering thought as we move into a new have to recreate the social pressure of era of Labour government. responsibility that once constrained We must build on the progress to top executives. This requires our date, and accept that the challenge we political leaders to speak out. But it’s face is greater than that anticipated a also down to pension funds that decade ago. Progress for some must be operate in our name. If social translated to progress for all. pressure doesn’t work then tougher Every day, not another ten years action should be considered. If from now, we have to subject ourselves Anthony Giddens the Blairite guru of to the same scrutiny and face the same the ‘third way’ can advocate more judgement – are we making Britain progressive taxation policies, then the more equal? We have to ensure the issue should enter the mainstream of will, the means and the public support debate. to make it happen. Health Professor Danny Dorling When New Labour came to office of all targets, in general their progress has the inequalities they had to tackle they been in one direction only – toward the knew what mattered most. The new greatest inequality. Health inequalities health secretary, Frank Dobson, spelt it have increased year on year under New out to the House of Commons. He Labour. Health inequalities reflect said: inequalities in society in general but are the the most obvious and “There are huge inequalities in our important outcome of the govern- society. Poor people are ill more ment’s failure to tackle inequality often and die sooner.And that’s the locally2. greatest inequality of them all – the inequality between the living and the Target 1: Infant dead.”1 mortality rates Figure 1, below, shows for babies born The Government identified two “body to working class parents the percentage counts” as targets to measure the by which their infant mortality rates success of their policies in reducing have been above average levels in health inequalities. The first was of the England and Wales for each year number of working class infants dying between 1996 and 2005 inclusive. If in their first year of life as compared to there were no differences between the the number that would be expected to chances of working class and middle die were the infants born to middle class babies dying during the first year class parents. The second concerned of life (most in their first few weeks) the differences in life expectancy found the bars would have zero height.
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