(London) Just Fair welcomes the UK Government’s renewed focus on tackling class inequality but says the real test will be whether it delivers on its commitment to commence the socio-economic duty.

The Government has today announced plans to establish a new Class Unit within the Office for Equality and Opportunity, alongside the closure of the Social Mobility Commission.

The Government has also identified the commencement of the socio-economic duty as an early priority for the new unit. If enacted, the duty, contained in Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010, would require specified public authorities to consider the ways in which their decisions increase or decrease inequalities that result from socio-economic disadvantage.

Just Fair, co-lead of the 1forEquality campaign, welcomed the announcement as an important opportunity to put tackling socio-economic inequality at the heart of public decision-making.

““The socio-economic duty is an important opportunity to put human rights at the heart of public decision-making. We welcome the UK Government’s announcement that one of the Unit’s early priorities will be the introduction of the socio-economic duty it, but we need to see a clear timetable this introduction, and meaningful implementation,” said Jess McQuail, Director of Just Fair.

The duty has already been commenced in Scotland and Wales, where public authorities have been required to take socio-economic disadvantage into account in their strategic decision-making.

Commencing the duty would be an important step towards creating a more consistent approach to tackling socio-economic inequality across the UK. But commencement alone will not be enough.

For the duty to make a meaningful difference, public authorities will need clear guidance, adequate resources, meaningful engagement with people and communities affected by socio-economic disadvantage, and effective ways of demonstrating how the duty has influenced decision-making.

The UK Government’s announcement comes at a time when people across the UK continue to experience significant inequalities in income, housing, health, education and employment. These inequalities are not inevitable. They are shaped by decisions about how resources are distributed, how public services are designed and whose experiences are taken into account.

“The UK Government has an opportunity to turn its commitment to tackling class inequality into lasting change. Commencing the socio-economic duty would be an important first step. But the duty must be properly implemented and used to drive decisions that improve people’s lives, particularly for communities facing the greatest socio-economic disadvantage,” said Jess McQuail, Director of Just Fair.

Just Fair co-leads the 1forEquality campaign, a coalition calling for the socio-economic duty to be commenced in England. The campaign brings together organisations across civil society to build understanding of the duty and advocate for its meaningful implementation.

ENDS

Notes to editors

About the socio-economic duty

Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 places a duty on certain public authorities to have due regard to the need to reduce the inequalities of outcome that result from socio-economic disadvantage when making strategic decisions.

The duty has been commenced in Scotland and Wales but has not yet been commenced in England. The 1forEquality campaign is co-led by Just Fair and calls for the socio-economic duty to be commenced and effectively implemented in England.

About Just Fair

Just Fair is a UK civil society organisation working to achieve lasting, positive change through the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights. Just Fair is a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the Office for Equality and Opportunity advising on effective commencement of the socio-economic duty.

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