Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The legacy of New Labour under Gordon Brown revealed, the gap between rich and poor is at its widest for 40 years,meritocracy is just a word














Dear All

One of the recurring themes of this blog is that we live in a corrupt country.

Now another government-commissioned report highlights what I have been writing and saying for years.

The gap between rich and poor in the UK is growing.

The National Equality Panel reports say that the problems are deep seated and that systemic differences remain in pay and employment.

Areas flagged up for special concern are neighbourhood renewal, taxes and education.

Although the Labour and Conservative Parties say they are committed to improving life chances in order to gain votes, the evidence is firmly against them.

The problem isn’t being addressed because the focus is spotlighted on the poor rather than tackling those who operate the systematic discrimination.

So, all that happens, is smoke and mirrors and no action, the deck chairs just get moved around but the result is always the same, the poor aren’t getting a seat.

Professor John Hills, of the London School of Economics said;

"Most political parties and people subscribe to the ideal of 'equality of opportunity'."

In truth, they have to all claim to support equality in order to attract members and votes.

Hills added;

"The challenge that our report puts down to all political parties is how do you create a level playing field when there are such large differences between the resources that different people have available to them”.

How do you create a level playing field?

Punitive sanctions and more transparency, watchdogs that have teeth and the political will.

A classic bastion of discrimination is UK Government, the Public Honours Unit is primary an exclusive club that excludes the ordinary working class person from sitting on the numerous NGO boards that run this country.

So, what does the future hold?

Can change really be forthcoming?

No, not while people like Gordon Brown and New Labour are in Government, they lack the political will to change anything.

Pretty sad isn’t.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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