I am a signatory to this letter in the Guardian this morning questioning whether the IFS has asked the right people with the right balance of views and experience to review inequality in the UK:
We welcome the idea of a major review of inequality (Britain ‘risks heading to US levels of inequality', 14 May). With Brexit looming and recent analyses linking income inequality to voting for rightwing populists, mass shootings, mental ill health, status consumerism and domestic violence, this is indeed a critical issue for our times.
However, there is widespread concern about the composition of this review's “expert panel”, which has a majority of white economists. Although the panel includes an expert on health inequalities, none of the world's leading experts on the health and psychosocial effects of income inequality itself are included, nor is there expertise in the spatial aspects of inequality. And there is a conspicuous absence of world-leading economists for whom income inequality is their primary focus — no Piketty, no Stiglitz, no Galbraith, no Frank, no Fitoussi, no Palma, no Chang, no Milanovic. Sir Angus Deaton, leading the review, stated in the journal Science in 2014 that he “get[s] angry” about the theory that inequality has psychological and social effects on health — perhaps he has changed his mind now that his own research has uncovered rising deaths from addiction and suicide in the US, but there are many researchers with much greater depth in this area. Even more troubling, there is no ethnic minority representation on the “expert panel”, no people with lived experience of inequality, no representatives of charities, trade unions or other NGOs. The number of disciplines represented is also small, although the impact of inequality goes far beyond economics.
We, and others, have been researching, educating and campaigning on inequality for many years, we understand the issues and we know what needs to be done. We cannot wait five years for a report from a worryingly elitist review. Getting policymakers and politicians to tackle inequality will require grassroots support from those most affected and is needed urgently.
Kate Pickett Professor of epidemiology and research champion for justice and equality, University of York
Richard Wilkinson Emeritus professor of social epidemiology, University of Nottingham
Danny Dorling Harold Mackinder professor of geography, University of Oxford
Dr Faiza Shaheen Director, CLASS
Dimitris Ballas Professor of economic geography, University of Groningen
Guy Standing Professor of development studies, Soas University of London
Dr Lorenza Antonucci School of social policy, University of Birmingham
Roberto De Vogli Associate professor, department of development and social psychology, and Human Rights Centre, University of Padua
Ann Pettifor Director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics (PRIME)
Paul C Sutton Professor of geography and the environment, University of Denver
Susan Himmelweit Emeritus professor of economics, Open University, Women's Budget Group
Dr Johnna Montgomerie Reader in international political economy, King's College London
John Weeks Professor emeritus, Soas University of London
Dirk Philipsen Associate research professor of economic history, Duke University
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson Director, Women's Budget Group
Ruth Pearson Emeritus professor of development studies, University of Leeds, and management committee, Women's Budget Group
Dr Andrea Westall Senior visiting fellow, Open University, and Commissioner for Sustainable Equality
Charlotte O'Brien Professor of law, University of York
Rev Paul Nicolson Founder, Taxpayers Against Poverty
Michael Pirson Associate professor of management, global sustainability, and social entrepreneurship, Fordham University
Louka T Katseli Professor of economics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and co-chair of the Independent Commission on Sustainable Equality, Progressive Society
Lindsay Stringer Professor of environment and development, University of Leeds
Julia K Steinberger Professor of social ecology and ecological economics, University of Leeds
Hunter Lovins President, Natural Capitalism Solutions
Jonathan Bradshaw Professor emeritus of social policy, University of York
Robert Costanza VC's chair in public policy, Australian National University
James Ward Associate professor, school of natural and built environments, University of South Australia
Tim Doran Professor of health policy, University of York
Dr Keri Chiveralls Adjunct research fellow, Central Queensland University
Mary Anne Mercer Senior lecturer emerita, Department of Global Health, University of Washington
Dr Stephen Bezruchka Senior lecturer in health services and global health, University of Washington
Roger Burrows Professor of cities, Newcastle University
Ida Kubiszewski Associate professor in public policy, Australian National University
Bev Skeggs Professor of sociology, University of Lancaster
Rowland Atkinson Research chair in inclusive societies, University of Sheffield
KristÃn Vala Ragnarsdóttir Professor of sustainability science, University of Iceland
Richard Murphy Professor of practice in international political economy, City, University of London, and director of Tax Research UK
Jacqueline McGlade Professor of resilience and sustainable development, University College London
Damien Morrison Trustee, Tax Watch
Nick Meynen Policy officer for environmental and economic justice, European Environmental Bureau
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
I wholeheartedly agree.
Totally agree – good letter, including plenty of people well qualified to be leading this kind of research
This exercise feels like pure academic can kicking. The evidence has been staring us in the face for long enough. Any research now should be all about what interventions are needed to turn things around.
I agree
Refining Gini is not the issue
I believe Stalin said words to the effect that “who votes doesn’t matter. What matters is who counts them!”
Looks as though the IFS have already stitched up the count!
BRAVO!
This is yet another bullshit response from a callous and uncaring Government proclaiming that they share our concerns but are just window dressing.
And where’s that guy from the UN?
No Scots adding their names?
The research is clear in Scotland. NHS Scotland knows what is needed as does NHS in Northern Ireland. The powers to use redistribution effectively are absent in both NI and Scotland.
https://www2.gov.scot/Resource/0041/00412226.pdf
http://www.healthscotland.scot/media/1053/1-healthinequalitiespolicyreview.pdf
I am afraid this letter was built around the London based progressive Economy Forum, of which I am a member
Not surprisingly it prompted a typical response from Tom Worst(of)all – https://continentaltelegraph.com/economy/an-entirely-hilarious-letter-to-the-guardian-on-angus-deatons-inequality-inquiry-for-the-ifs/
I thought CapX was bad but the Continental Telegraph sets an equally low bar for right wing ravings.
However it does highlight an issue for those working on inequality, that the data is open to be spun or abused selectively. As a for instance, the right are fond of saying that global poverty has come down significantly whilst ignoring that this is overwhelmingly driven by China. Similar games are played on incomes and wealth.
There’s a useful piece of work to be done to unpick all those right wing assertions
I suspect there is no one who takes Worstall seriously and the CT is simply a front for him
I am not sure the Telegraph are amused. They got rid of him long ago
Actually Worstall has an article published in the Telegraph today!!!
It does not surprise me given how rabid it is now
Sadly there are rather too many Tory ministers and back benchers who seem to share the views of the likes of Worstall. And the rest of the CapX gang and their media friends.
Absolutely what we need Richard! If the poor think they are living through hell up till now, they haven’t seen anything yet! I lived through Thatcher years in Scotland and I will never forget or forgive Conservatives and I’m horrified they have been let back in in Scotland after we cast them out for their destruction of our industries and the lost souls who died young, turned to drink and drugs because with pits closed, our steel industry closed etc, there were no jobs, we lost so many Scots who were forced to move south for work and not only were our industries destroyed, our population took a dive. You are well trusted within the people of UK especially in Scotland, please do all you can to call out the IFS who constantly turn their backs on the world’s population, they may write reports but rarely act on it. Wishing you and the economy forum all the best! What I cannot believe is how the public aren’t rioting or mass protesting weekly like other Nations where corruption and inflicting poverty by the far right Governments are rife. I remember the riots of the poll tax, poor people are so brainwashed about Brexit they do not realise they are going from Tory austerity frying pan into a greater danger to mankind post Brexit. Conservative Government fears no one, they make and break the rules because the majority of people roll over and allow it to happen and many stupidly believe there is a Utopia UK waiting post Brexit. What they will end up doing is failing their own families and generations of their families to come if they don’t waken up and stand up and fight against this vile and dangerous Fascism via not only extremist Tories but this Brexit Party led by a crook and a liar!