The Spirit Level

I went to a fascinating debate hosted by the centre-right think-tank, Policy Exchange, last night. Perhaps suprisingly for them, the debate was on inequality and what we should be doing about it.

This was sparked by a recent book called The Spirit Level, which (if my rough understanding of all things economics) is right, is about the relationship between the level of inequality in a country and its effect on the wellbeing and life expectancy of all its inhabitants.

Broadly speaking, the book apparently argues that the more unequal the society, the less happy, socially and physically well everyone is. This view was popular with about 90% of the room last night, apart from the small band of economists who somewhat ruined the Q&A session with a series of impassioned speeches about the inadequacy of data (and therefore maybe somewhat missed the point of the debate).

I haven't read the book, so can't make a judgement as yet, though I will read it and then blog again on it.

What I do know though is that the growing discrepancy between rich and poor (and indeed between the rich and the rest) cannot be allowed to continue. In my opinion it's creating a fractured, siloed, utterly split society within our country.

The UK is often portrayed as one of the most progressive countries in the world. Yet despite our relative affluence, health and social progression, we're arguably no further on down the line of a fair and equal society than we were in Victorian or even feudal times.

And that troubles me. It really really does.