Responding to Liz Truss first speech as Prime Minister, Jo Wittams, Co Executive Director of The Equality Trust, said:

“Whilst many will be relieved that Liz Truss plans to freeze household energy prices for 18 months, this is just a sticking plaster which doesn’t deal with the structural issues within our unequal economy. 

Far too many people are battling the continuous cost of an inequality crisis which is a direct result of our broken economy. Decades of low paid jobs and stagnant wages have failed to provide the basics of a roof over people’s head and put food on the table, while at the same time the 1% has accumulated skyrocketing levels of wealth. 

Her plans for delivering on the economy, on energy, and on the NHS, cannot be achieved without tackling our country’s high and entrenched levels of inequality. 

As a new government forms under her leadership, we call for a strategy that commits to a dismantling of structural inequalities. We need a progressive tax and social security system – including a wealth tax, commencement of the Socio-Economic Duty in England and to rethink the ownership structure of utility companies to improve the quality of life for everyone in the UK.

We cannot continue to leave households and businesses to face crises with the bare minimum of support in one of the richest countries in the world. It’s clear that more equal countries see better physical and mental health, better educational outcomes, and lower levels of violence. Now is a critical point in whether households and businesses will be able to survive the winter. We encourage the new government to be bold and tackle the rampant inequality at the heart of society.”

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Note to editors 

1- The Equality Trust is the national registered charity that works to improve the quality of life in the UK by reducing social and economic inequalities. For further comments or to arrange an interview, contact jo.wittams@equalitytrust.org.uk

2- The Socio-Economic Duty ensures that public authorities have to have due regard to socio-economic inequalities in their decision making.