Skipper

The Wealth Gap has allegedly been growing apace for the last two or three decades, driven on by deregulated markets, hedge fund traders etc etc. Labour's critics have been quick to point to the 'fact' that inequality has extended disturbingly thoughout its eleven years in power. I always found this deeply depressing, as a Labour supporter, and could not really find much of an answer except to assert, do doubt correctly, that under Tories the gap would be wider, and what is more, they would not have given a fig for it or the poor, (IDS nobly excepted). For a longer analysis of wealth and poverty in Britain visit my companion site right here. Oh yes, and it gives the excuse to use my very favourite Ascot picture, illustrating the wealth gap.

Today I hear on the eponymous radio 4 show, that this is not the case. Let me quote from the BBC website:

A new report says the gap between rich and poor in the UK has narrowed but it is still one of the biggest in the developed world.Despite a vast majority of the UK being richer than 10 years ago, the gap between rich and poor was widening. A report by the Organisation for Economic Development (OECD) now says that the gap has narrowed. Mark Pearson, who wrote the report for the OECD, says this has been due to a large rise in employment and social spending.

So, can Labour now boast some minor success as opposed to abject failure in terms of reducing poverty? You can count on it that they will, but I supect that as the next election approaches, statistical argument about such matters will burgeon, to the enlightenment of few, if any at all.