I've long admired the work of Richard Wilkinson - and more recently the book he wrote with Kate Pickett, entitled 'The Spirit Level'. It is an excellent, thorough attack on the effects of inequality and the benefits of a more egalitarian society.

I found out about the Equality Trust through that book - the Trust has a very good web-site exposing inequality's effects. It's worth looking at and supporting.

www.equalitytrust.org.uk

Particularly like Kerry's mention of "social profit" - the idea that social justice and environmental sustainability should be rated alongside actual profit, what's often called a "triple bottom-line". This is an idea that could be popularised in the social enterprise / cooperative sector where there's a strong focus on reducing negative externalities - part of the reason for this is the processes of democratic participation which these firms have embedded.

Also, the openness to coalition politics is welcome, particularly as members of all parties and none share the belief that greater economic equality is desirable. Though obviously policy prescriptions differ greatly, I hope the Equality Trust will seek to bring on board figures from all parties to raise this issue.

Particularly like Kerry's mention of "social profit" - the idea that social justice and environmental sustainability should be rated alongside actual profit, what's often called a "triple bottom-line".
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There is a great deal written on this concept under the term "social accounting"..you can google. There are many similar concepts in the "ecological economics" movement.

For me the greatest exponent is Herman Daly, who has emerged as a hero of the World Social Forum movement. He not only focuses on the right issues, he has also produced a robust and rigorous set of economic concepts that I have seen trump the neo-liberal orthodoxy in debates among economists. Herman Daly deserves to be better known in the UK (he is based at the University of Maryland). There are some good webpages summarising his concepts. I am sure you will enjoy them. You can find them just by googling his name.

Would it be daft to think that taking recent EU requirements a step futher would be a real strike for equality: ie equalise pay-rates for full and part-time workers and give part-time workers same benefits as full-time? The differences between part and full time are a legacy of an out-dated, sexist and racist model of workplace equality and citizenship, and the consequences for pensions, worklife balance and sexual and racial equality are bad. Obviously, important to stop 'levelling down', so that this becomes an excuse to treat full-time workers as badly as part-timers. On other hand, some redistribution of benefits and wages between full and part-time workers wouldn't be unjust, given that the former owe so many of their benefits to the poor pay and work conditions of the latter. If want to create solidarity amongst workers, across race, sex and religious divides and do something about work/life balance as well, wouldn't it be good to say equal pay for equal work includes wage rates and benefits - after all, there is no necessary difference in skill levels, or in desires for well-paid, secure work between those who can work 40 hour weeks and those who cannot. Or am I mad?