It has been 14 years since the implementation of ‘Austerity’ policies in our country.

Austerity is a set of government policies that reduce public spending alongside increasing taxation primarily on low to middle income earners, with a supposed aim of reducing a high deficit (i.e. the difference between government spending and income).

The mainstream economic opinion is that austerity policies are hugely damaging, and that government spending and disposable incomes are vital to a healthy economy as they allow for the creation of jobs, good public services and the circulation of capital.

The Progressive Economy Forum estimates this ‘Austerity’ has cost the United Kingdom half a trillion pounds of public spending.

Aside from the devastating impact it has had on our economy, ‘Austerity’ has meant a:

• Increase of those living in poor conditions of housing: Social Workers Union found that two-thirds (61%) of children’s social workers witnessed young people living in conditions with excessive levels of mould.

• Destruction of our public services: In 2022 the waiting list in England for non-urgent care in hospital had reached a new record high of 7.2 million people

• Rise in fuel poverty: Child Poverty Action group has said by January 2023, over half of households in the UK (15 million) will be in fuel poverty – spending over 10 per cent of net income on fuel.

• Increase in child poverty: the No Child Left Behind campaign has said 3.9 million children – 8 pupils in every class of 30 – living in poverty. And it’s only getting worse.

• Growth of inequality in the UK: the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said the gap between the richest in society and the rest of the population has widened over the 10-year period (from 2010); the income share of the richest 1% increased from 7% to 8.2% between FYE 2011 and FYE 2020.

We the undersigned our campaigning with trade unions, campaign groups and wider society for the reintroduction of section 1 of the equality act – the social economic duty by central Government. Utilising the work of just fair and the Equality Trust, who have shown what is possible across local authorities when the social economic duty is enacted.

We are directly calling on all parties to make a clear commitment in the manifestos in any upcoming election to make section 1 of the equality act law – the social economic duty, reducing poverty, to help make austerity illegal.

Sign our campaign pledge to support our work to Make Equality Real.

This campaign is supported by: Artists' Union England (AUE), Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP), Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) Community, General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU), National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO), Social Workers Union (SWU), The Equality Trust.