The problem is that the scale of action was often small relative to the underlying inequalities; problems were often harder to tackle than the government appears originally to have assumed, and less amenable to a one-off fix. As growth in living standards as a whole slowed, even before the current recession, and public finances became more constrained, policy momentum gained by the middle of the period had often been lost by the end of it.Has Britain become a more equal society under New Labour? | Society | The Guardian
Some thoughts:
The Moving-Target-Problem applies: without continual attention and "renewal", the poorest areas slip backwards rather than standing still. And changes in the social environment make it harder to stand still.
Wealth inequalities continue to grow, and so do a wide range of measures of inequalities in health, including overall inequalities in age at death, infant mortality, heart disease and mental health indicators. The better-educated may be most receptive to health education messages.
Better-off parents may become more effective at understanding what best helps their children's development.
We shouldn't ignore the difficulties caused by low levels of literacy and we shouldnt confuse low levels of literacy with low levels of intelligence. This is before we consider issues around learning difficulties.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Comments