#1forEquality is a campaign led by Just Fair and The Equality Trust. Its aim is to urge the UK Government to put in place the Socio-Economic Duty by commencing Section 1 of the Equality Act. Many groups and individuals support the campaign because it is a useful tool for tackling inequality at a local level.
Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 asks public bodies to consider how their decisions affect socio-economic inequalities. But unfortunately, successive UK Governments have not brought this into UK law. The Scottish Parliament has taken positive steps forward by introducing the Fairer Scotland Duty in 2018.
Inequality harms physical and mental health, happiness, sense of trust and civic participation. To address inequality are working to get local councils in the North East to implement the duty. Doing so is a positive step towards tackling socio-economic inequality across the region. Places that have taken this step in the North East are:
We worked alongside Poverty2Solutions in the run up to the 2nd May 2019 elections. Our aim was to promote section 1 of the Equality Act 2010. Together, we approached candidates for councillor and mayoral positions across the North East. As a result, 58 candidates expressed support for the socio-economic duty. You can read the briefing we sent to candidates by clicking on the button below.
If you are interested in getting involved in our work in the North East, or want to find out more, contact our Head of Policy, Research and Campaigns, Helen Flynn at: [email protected]