Theresa May announces new body aimed at tackling 'social injustices' across UK
2 min read
Theresa May has announced a new body will be set up to tackle “deep-rooted injustices” and create a fairer society.
The Prime Minister, who is due to leave Downing Street in less than two weeks, said the Office for Tackling Injustices would hold the Government to account in its progress on dealing with inequality and unfairness.
Speaking on the day she became Prime Minister in 2016, Mrs May pledged to take on “burning injustices” in the UK.
The new body will be tasked with assessing the extent of inequalities across different economic backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, disability and sexual orientation.
Mrs May said: “Deep-seated societal injustice requires a long-term focus and cannot be eliminated overnight.
“Since becoming Prime Minister, I have challenged the injustices which still exist in our society through the power of data – from our world-leading gender pay gap reporting to the Race Disparity Unit – and I have demanded that if disparities cannot be explained, they must be changed.
“But there is more to be done now and in the years to come, if we are truly to say that this is a country which works for everyone – no matter who they are or where they’re from.
“That’s why the Office for Tackling Injustices will go further, using the power of data, gathered from extensive sources, to shine a spotlight on key injustices and provide the catalyst for better policy solutions.
“By holding Government and wider society to account, we can create lasting change.”
It is understood the body will work within the new Cabinet Office equalities hub alongside the Race Disparity Unit, Office for Disability and Government Equalities Office.
Women and equalities minister Penny Mordaunt said: “We know that high quality data and evidence are important tools in tackling inequality.
“We need to know how well we are tackling injustice and the impact on people’s lives.”
The announcement is one of a string of initiatives Mrs May has announced as she prepares to make way for her successor later this month.
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