My Fair London

Last Saturday, February 25, saw the launch of the London Equality Group’s My Fair London manifesto, which is a challenge to all the Mayoral candidates in this year’s London elections to work towards reducing income inequality. The manifesto highlights that one of the starkest illustrations of the extent of London’s inequality is provided by the Jubilee Line.

A man living eight stops east of Westminster can expect to live seven years less than his Westminster-based neighbour. Things are only just over two months better for a woman in that situation as a Canning Town-based lady can expect to live 6.8 years less than her Westminster neighbour.

On a positive note, it is clear that there is widespread public concern about the level of inequality in the UK as a whole – not just London. Therefore the news that even before launching the Manifesto petition had attracted over 500 signatories from London citizens was not altogether a surprise.

This gives a great platform to build on and makes reaching the 10,000 signatures target by May realistic, not least because the manifesto now has the backing of three (no prizes for guessing which, but just in case: Jenny Jones, Ken Livingstone and Brian Paddick) of the four main mayoral candidates. The group hasn’t given up hope with respect to Boris: given the scale of the problem surely he must heed the call…

One of the most shocking statistics which the event highlighted is that the ratio which describes the wealth between the top and bottom 10 per cent of Londoners is 273:1. Against the background of such information it makes sense to hear, as the audience did from Kate Pickett (co-author of The Spirit Level), that reducing inequality is good for everyone.

Yes, those at the top as well as those at the bottom benefit from living in less polarised societies in which the levels of trust between citizens are much higher and healthier. The knock on effect of the super-rich especially in the housing market, as the BBC’s Michael Robinson described, is not something which is contained within the ivory towers of the wealthiest boroughs. The ripples of this inequality are felt right across London’s not yet ‘Balkanised’ housing market – to borrow a term from Boris, at his equality loving best!

The London Equality Group’s manifesto has practical suggestions about what the mayor can do to help reduce income inequality including the establishment of a London Fairness Commission along the lines of those set up, and delivering tangible results, in the UK.

The Islington Fairness Commission’s Andy Hull, also at the launch, noted that, in respect of housing significant powers already available to Councils to help ensure that unused properties don’t remain so for long. This was just one example of how the manifesto makes sensible, achievable requests of all the mayoral candidates to help make London a more equal city.

The manifesto and associated petition can be found at myfairlondon.org.uk – do lend your support and make your opinion count.

Image by Images_of_Money courtesy of Flickr