The UK's local elections, coming up on the 4th of May 2023, will determine who runs swathes of the country.

It's also a chance for local authorities to start building a more equal, better society on a local level - and an opportunity for voters to demand that from their representatives.

That's why we're launching our Fairness Five: five pledges that any local authority in the UK can put into place now to reduce inequality. We're asking councillors, candidates, and groups to sign up - and the best way to convince them is for local residents (that's you) to ask!

We've already had over 160 councillors and candidates agree, as well as support from council groups including Manchester Labour, Sheffield, Coventry, and Dudley Greens, and Manchester’s and Oldham’s Liberal Democrats.

Help make your local area fairer by asking your local councillors and candidates to sign up.

Find out more and see a list of who's already signed up on our website.

Not every council has an election this year, and at the moment we're focusing on metropolitan boroughs and unitary authorities. If your address has "no recipients found" in this tool, you can check if you have any district council elections using Who Can I Vote For. There are no elections in 2023 in Scotland and Wales.

If you want to go the extra mile and contact candidates in district council elections, or if you have any questions about this campaign, please email us.

Our five pledges are:

1. Adopt the Socio-Economic Duty

By adopting the socio-economic duty, councils would have to examine the impact of their decision making on socio-economic inequality. The duty has been enacted nationally in Scotland and Wales as well as voluntarily by many councils across England.

2. Pay all directly contracted staff the real Living Wage

Thousands of employers across the UK pay their staff the real Living Wage and are therefore ensuring that their employees receive a fair wage to help them face the cost of living crisis.

3. Ensure all council contractors are required to pay staff the real Living Wage and do not have Trade Union blacklists.

Many councils hold contracts with private businesses, ask your council to ensure that these contracts contain clauses that request businesses pay their staff the Real Living Wage and do not have Trade Union blacklists.

4. Put concrete processes/projects in place to encourage, listen and respond to people at the sharp end of inequality, especially young people.

Make sure that your council centres the voices of those with lived experience in policy making so that they develop the most equitable and effective responses to issues facing your community.

5. Publish a plan to reduce the pay ratio between the CEO and the lowest-paid directly employed council worker.

Inequality increases when there are big differences between the pay of those at the top of a company or organisation when compared to those at the bottom. By reducing this pay ratio the council will be contributing to reducing pay inequality.

Find out more, and if you're a candidate sign up, on our website