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The Deaton Review: Inequalities in the UK – how can we build a more equal and inclusive society?
UCL economists are leading research underpinning a wide-ranging review of inequalities in the UK that should, within five years, identify policy options to secure a more equal and inclusive society.
7 October 2020
Inequalities have been growing in the UK and other parts of the world, fuelling a rise in populism and sparking protests.
““We see inequalities not just in terms of wealth, but also by gender, health, ethnicity, geography and education. We don’t know what’s driving them, but some of these inequalities are about long term changes in society.” explains Professor Sir Richard Blundell (UCL Economics).
A five-year review, commissioned by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), funded by the Nuffield and chaired by Nobel Laureate and economist Professor Sir Angus Deaton, will build a comprehensive and coherent picture of which inequalities matter to people and why, what causes them and what we can do about them.
Professor Blundell and UCL colleagues Professor Imran Rasul, Professor Orazio Attanasio and Visiting Professor Paul Johnson, Director of the IFS, join other world-leading experts in sociology, epidemiology, political science, philosophy and economics on a panel that is overseeing the project.
The review aims to understand and report on the inequality of income, but also of health, gender, place and political participation. A large team of experts will look at a range of policy areas from taxes and benefits to trade policy, education, the labour market, competition and regulation.
“This review will look closely at a wide range of inequalities that affect people. We will draw on expertise from across the social sciences, to piece together what is going on, and provide recommendations for policy changes to ensure everyone is better off in future,” says Professor Blundell.
Watch Professor Blundell speak about his work on the IFS Deaton Review
