Make tackling inequality our national purpose

Inequality is THE hot political potato. It will be the "personal mission" of our new (female - yeah!) First Minster. The draft budget has tackling inequality as an underpinning theme. Meanwhile, on the other side of the chamber (so to speak), the outcomes of inequality - poverty, low pay, ill health etc. – have all featured in the Scottish Labour Leadership contest. So far, so good. It would be hard to argue that inequality is not a significant risk to our economy and to the wellbeing of people across this country - unless of course you are benefitting from our current neo liberal approach. I get pretty angry about the life changing, life devastating poverty which we see in our society. Partly because I grew up in one of the most deprived areas of Glasgow, where child poverty still blemishes the life chances and dreams of far too many. But what makes me blindingly furious is the man-made nature of that divide, which political choices have only made worse. As David Stuckler (due to speak at the Summit this week) highlights, austerity responses to the most recent recession are doing far more damage than we can comprehend. Our response to global and local economic shocks gives a clear indication of how governments and society value each and every citizen. On that measure, we have failed and failed spectacularly as women, disabled people and others have been hit, and hit hard. So hard, they may never get back to any semblance of normality. Westminster has a lot to answer for.  However, as Engender points out in a recent blog, Scotland cannot always claim the policy high ground. Women in particular have been hard hit by the recession and yet, there has been a largely “gender blind” policy response to welfare reform for example.

We have failed and failed spectacularly as women, disabled people and others have been hit, and hit hard. So hard, they may never get back to any semblance of normality

I would tend to agree. Impact assessments must be better at taking account of lived experience and understanding not just the views of those closest to the policy making process. As Molly and John from the Poverty Truth Commission outline, the challenges we face in tackling inequality are too big to be left to politicians alone. Of course, we are in a state of flux just now, as we await a new government programme and top team, the outcomes of Smith and pre-election manifestos. The right noises are being made about inequality but we can always be more ambitious. So as civic society prepares to grapple with the causes, nature and solutions to inequality at tomorrow’s Third Sector Summit (#TSS14), here are some thoughts to take us towards that. Why not ensure that tackling inequality becomes the primary purpose driving government and public services? What more can we do to ensure that people themselves are at the very heart of shaping strategy and responses to tackling inequality? Can we consider the creation of people panels to help shape the government programme and budget? Can we take the idea of a Social Security Commission outlined in the Expert Working Group on Welfare and use something similar to shape the implementation of any new powers which might fall from the Smith Commission? The road ahead in tackling inequality is not an easy one. But when did something good ever come easy? Join our debate tomorrow (#TSS14, #tacklinginequality) as civic society comes together to consider how we begin that journey towards a more equal and inclusive country.