Economists have called on the British government to support the UN's initiative on inequality
Forty scholars have called on the government of British Prime Minister Andy Bernam in an open letter to support the creation of the International Panel on Inequality (IPI), which is being developed by the United Nations. This was reported by The Guardian World.
Among the signatories are Nobel Prize laureate Joseph Stiglitz, University College London professor Mariana Mazzucato, Larry Kramer, Vice-Chancellor of the London School of Economics, and Kate Pickett, co-author of *The Spirit Level*. The authors of the letter believe that the new body should create an independent and reliable global evidence base on the causes and consequences of inequality, as well as analyze policies capable of reducing it.
According to the initiators’ vision, the IPI will operate using an approach similar to that of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The panel, to be headed by Stiglitz, will monitor significant disparities in the distribution of wealth and provide recommendations on global policy. Brazil, South Africa, Norway, and Spain participated in the development of the project.
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Scientists led by Pickett called on Bernam to express support for the initiative during the UN General Assembly next month. The letter also notes that the UK’s G20 presidency in 2027 gives the prime minister an opportunity to demonstrate leadership on the world stage. Separately, charitable organizations, think tanks, and Labour MPs have called on the new government to use its G20 presidency to strengthen the party’s role in global development.
Commenting on the letter, Stuart Wood, Minister for Economic Growth at the UK Foreign Office, stated that a more equitable and productive economy requires not only domestic policies but also cooperation with other countries and international institutions. According to him, the government intends to work with allies to stimulate global growth, combat inequality, improve the effectiveness of international financial institutions, and coordinate development assistance and climate action.
