The evidence was suggested to be found in the book "Breadline Britain" (cover photo above), by Stewart Lansley and Joanna Mack. So, with some indignation and cynicism toward this claim, I thought I had better, at the very least, buy a copy of the book and examine the claims being made (and 'promoted' by the likes of Polly Toynbee).
It's an important, well written and passionately argued book - no question! And everyone should read it for themselves to at least acquaint themselves with the issues.
But are the central claims of the authors - based on "large-scale surveys" and "face-to-face interviews" - coherent and ultimately true?
What they correctly identify, in my view, is the serious level of inequality that exists between the richest and poorest in our society, and in this respect the book is not disputed.
Having purchased the book through Amazon, I thought I would post a review of it there. Here's the web link:
Review of "Breadline Britain - The Rise of Mass Poverty
However, my review only scratches the surface, in terms of critique. It actually requires a detailed book-length response. But I'm not an economist, so there are plenty of others 'out there' that would do a better job of covering the bases.
At heart, it's a left-wing, anti-capitalist polemic, which has some strong arguments on its side. So much so, that even fair minded capitalist 'believers' would probably agree.
At stake is the whole approach to stable politics, including our 'market-based' economy, approach to market innovation, promotion of economic growth, job and wealth creation etc...
There's an 'unacceptable face of capitalism' for sure - and it's easy to identify - whether it's Premiership footballers pay, executive salaries, bankers bonuses, specialist tax avoidance schemes... the list could go on! And all of these need better controls and taxation policies in place, to 'capture' some of that wealth and return it to the wider economy - for the good of all, especially those most disadvantaged.
At the end of the day, there is a complex narrative to the whole argument about the causes and cure of perceived 'poverty', but in general, I believe that the inequalities that we see can best be addressed through a well regulated and controlled capitalist market economy, than any other alternative.