"Mr AinsworthI assume you are talking about the Equality Trust.Does not always practice what it preaches as it states its Male-to-Female pay ratio is 0.79 to 1 !"As it states the pay ratio openly, then it is obviously checking it, with a view, I'd guess, to work to improve it.You ask questions about the Equality Trust's claims. It would help you to find answers if you look at their site:-https://equalitytrust.org.uk/"The UK has very high inequality of income compared to other developed countries; the 9th most unequal incomes of 38 OECD countries (OECD, 2022).The UK’s wealth inequality is much more severe than income inequality, with the top fifth taking 36% of the country’s income and 63% of the country’s wealth, while the bottom fifth have only 8% of the income and only 0.5% of the wealth according to the Office for National Statistics.Inequality of wealth and income fell during the 20th century, but began rising again in the 1980s."You write "The average top rate of tax in Europe is 42.8% whilst in the UK it is 45%."But we are 16th out of 35 in "Highest statutory income tax rates in Europe in 2024, by country". See:-https://www.statista.com/statistics/1455011/highest-statutory-income-tax-rates-europe/#:~:text=Denmark%20is%20the%20European%20country,taxation%20band%20of%2055.9%20percent.UK is 26th out of 38 ln "Safest countries in Europe 2024":-https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/safest-countries-in-europe"Overall, available data indicate that levels of inequality in life expectancy are higher in the UK than in other comparable countries, for example Italy and the Netherlands, but lower than in others, including the US and some Eastern European countries."https://www.health.org.uk/news-and-comment/charts-and-infographics/inequalities-in-life-expectancy-how-the-uk-compares#:~:text=The%20UK%27s%20life%20disparity%20is,Canada%20between%202015%20and%202019.I'm not happy with trusting a happiness index. Finland is number 1, Israel is number 5, UK 20, Russia 72, State of Palestine is 103 and Ukraine is 105. I'm not sure that it is a comparable thing. Still "Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Spain are countries where the old are now significantly happier than the young". https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2024/happiness-of-the-younger-the-older-and-those-in-between/#ranking-of-happiness-2021-2023Anyway, do you see what can be done with your queries, if you try?------------------------------"The daily pay of a Private in the British army at the time of the Second World War was two shillings."Tough, eh? Life just ain't fair. Spending six war years in the British Army as my father did was no way to get rich for most people. He even had to hand in his Italian sub-machine gun.
David Ainsworth ● 556d