Inequalities in the Uk ― New Discourses, Evolutions and Actions

Six of the chapter examine the extent of economic inequalities and poverty using quantitative and qualitative methods that help map regional differences, compare the UK with the rest of the EU and go beyond the traditional measures and concepts. Seven chapters explore how inequalities have evolved since 2008 and have been tackled by policy makers in five policy areas (health, housing, education, gender and immigration) taking into account the new legislative framework and in one party (labour). Finally, six others address the issue of the governance of inequality by looking at how inequality features in the political agenda of the devolved assemblies in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales as well as at a local level in Ipswich and London.

Based on recent surveys and current academic thinking, this book provides an up-to-date account of the extent and distribution of inequalities in the UK, of the evolving ways in which inequalities are measured and addressed as well as the changing perception of inequalities by the general public and policy-makers.

Anemone Kober-Smith is Professor of British Studies at the University of Paris 13, France. Her research interests are in the fields of health and healthcare policies, the welfare state, the governance of public services and gendered work policies in the UK (and France). She is the author of many publications, including a book published in France in 2010 on the implementation and impact of managerial reforms in the NHS since the 1980s.