Labour has made inequality worse: Gulf between rich and poor now widest since WWII
By
Jason Groves
Last updated at 1:51 PM on 27th January 2010
The gulf between rich and poor has grown wider under Labour than at any time since World War II, according to a devastating report to be published today.
It paints a picture of a country shaped by inequality and an enduring system of class, with the children of the poor destined to live much harder and shorter lives than those of the wealthy.
The 450-page report by the Government's National Equality Panel represents a damning verdict on Labour's 13 years in office and Tony Blair's pledge on poverty in 1996.
London's poorest district: Canning Town council estate in Newham is only a short distance from the City - but a long way in terms of wealth
The study says that inequality in income has reached the highest level since records began in 1961, and probably since the end of the Second World War. It also concludes that inequality in Britain is among the worst in the developed world, with the highest rate of poverty in western Europe.
It says 'deep seated and systematic differences' remain between the life chances of different social classes and groups. People's class and origins 'shape their life chances from cradle to grave'.
The report says there is 'widespread ignorance of the scale of inequality' and warns that many people will find its conclusions 'shocking'.
In 1996, before he came to power, Mr Blair pledged to bring about 'greater equality', adding: 'If the next Labour government has not raised the living standards of the poorest by the end of its time in office it will have failed.'
But the report shows that working-class children will generally do significantly less well at school, earn less at work and die younger than those from richer homes.
On average, children born in the poorest areas will die 13 years before those in the richest.
Five-year-olds from well-off homes have a vocabulary that is almost twice as wide as those from the poorest homes and are 30 per cent less likely to have problem behaviour.
The richest 10 per cent of families have assets worth an average £853,000 - almost 100 times the £8,800 average wealth of the poorest 10 per cent.
The only glimmer of good news for Labour is the report's finding that the pay gap between men and women has narrowed in the last decade.
The report was commissioned by Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman in October 2008. She had hoped it would show evidence that Labour policy interventions and creeping social engineering costing billions had worked.
Last week, on seeing a preview of the report, she admitted it contained some 'hard home truths' and made 'uncomfortable reading' for Labour. But last night she promised to use its findings to make the case for even more state intervention.
She claimed the Government's controversial Equality Bill, which will force the public sector to focus resources on closing the gap between rich and poor, would help tackle the problems identified.
She added: 'We have made progress over the last 13 years - especially in tackling poverty - and halted the rising growth of inequality that dates back to the 1980s and which we still see the effects of today. But we will do more to increase social mobility.'
Tory equalities spokesman Theresa May said the report showed that the billions spent by Labour had failed to address the causes of poverty and inequality.
She added: 'It is truly shocking that after 13 years of a Labour government inequality has grown to the highest level since the Second World War.
'It is unbelievable that Labour still thinks it can claim to be the party of aspiration when its failure to tackle the causes of poverty have let down so many lives.'
Means testing strips the poor of any savings ensuring a brief time on benefits reduces them to poverty. Poverty for the (non)-working classes is built into the sytem, it's their by design and neither Labour nor the Tories will every do anything about it because that is how they want it.
I don't vote, nobody represents me.
- Joseph Le Blanc, Nottingham, 27/1/2010 19:36
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