The Equality Trust was delighted to host a packed out event on Tuesday night to hear Professors Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett talk about their new book, The Inner Level.

Building on the work of their previous book (the acclaimed international best-seller The Spirit Level) Kate and Richard presented a vast amount of detailed evidence that showed how inequality affects us at an individual level, how it disrupts social relations between us and how it exacerbates mental health problems. They also explained how inequality fuels status competition and status anxiety which, in turn, drives consumerism, debt and a long-hours working culture that undermines individual wellbeing, family life and wider social and community relations. A particularly interesting section looked at how certain wrong-headed ideas about talent and abilities are fostered by living in unequal societies and how these meritocratic myths do not stand up to scrutiny.

The talk ended on a hopeful and optimistic note as Richard and Kate outlined how greater economic democracy and more egalitarian policies can deliver a better society, a society that not only improves everyone’s wellbeing but also helps us transition to a more sustainable way of life where all of us can flourish within planetary limits.

The talk was followed with a lively Q&A and then light refreshments where the discussions and debates carried on. We would like to give our massive thanks to the UCL Faculty of Population Health Sciences for supporting this event and helping to make it such a success.

Bill Kerry
Supporters & Local Groups Manager

Ps: If you are interested in having Kate and/or Richard come and talk to your organisation or at an event, please see this page for more details…