Over the next 6 months we will cover the Make Equality Real campaign’s different themes, all relating to the impacts of austerity.
SWU and the Association of Educational Psychologists (AEP) launched the Make Equality Real campaign in May 2024 with the support of a coalition of nine national trade unions and campaign groups spearheaded by the GFTU.
Make Equality Real calls for the inclusion of socio-economic duty into the Equality Act 2010 and the end of austerity. Learn more and sign the petition today.
In the 1980’s we saw a pathology in politics tendered to the public, the notion that we might all be middle class and attain an uplift of living standards by buying our own homes. The government at that time propagated the right to buy scheme, legislated in the Housing Act 1980 (c. 51), which then seen millions of council houses across the UK become privately owned. These same houses built purposely for people on low incomes have become completely unavailable and inaccessible – Affordable social housing has turned to unaffordable private rented housing.
This is the legacy of the right to buy scheme. The right to buy scheme should have been a means for people to access more equality in terms of socio-economic security but has in reality contributed to greater division, profiteering on poverty, and disadvantage in society.
The UK class system and socio-economic expectations went from a tone of being aspirational for the working classes in the 1980’s to destitution for all classes, other than the wealthy and elite, in 2024.
This is a sharp disparity of living standards that continues to increase and is measurable in the visible escalation of people of varying classes dependent on access to foodbanks. The Trussell Trust reported that between April 2022 and March 2023 their network of UK-wide foodbanks distributed around 3 million emergency food parcels to people, 1 million of which known to be needed for children. It is significant to note that there will also be many more unquantified numbers of people who have accessed emergency assistance from community led foodbanks, not counted by bigger organisations, or through emergency financial assistance on a voluntary or statutory basis via local authorities across the UK.
The government need to be reminded and held accountable for not doing all they can to ensure children survive and develop to their full potential (Article 6, UNCRC, 1989), these protections need to be enshrined in the legal frameworks available to us to safeguard human rights in the UK – such as the Equality Act 2010. We now say enough. People have had enough.
All people are entitled to basic equal human rights.

The UK People have been subject to decimation not only of the state over several decades, but more laterally by the ideology of austerity since 2010. Austerity, a recession of hope and means, has significantly imposed sanctions on those most in need of state support and curtailed the abilities of staff working across public services, stretched beyond ability to function, rendering early interventions near impossible. Simply, the consequence has been to dehumanise and punish those most in need of assistance. As a developed nation we should not be delivering aide in the 21st century as we once did in the Alms-houses of the 10th century.
The social engineering of austerity has been at work for considerably longer than many of us now recall (Pilger, 1998). This tactical shrinkage has been on the agenda far longer than any single government’s manifesto though it mostly aligned with the Con-dem governments’ overt attack on the welfare state and public services that the working classes not only depend upon but pay for through systems of taxation and national insurance, however, can no longer access on account of tactical shrinkage.
The terminology of austerity merely brought about an unconcealed political agenda to the foreground.
To embellish and embed false beliefs, in the social consciousness that those most disadvantaged in society should not only be less favourably treated but be dehumanised. To condone treatment with malign and contempt: to subject to benefit sanctions, hunger, predispose to intergenerational poverty and all the physical, mental and emotional harm that goes with that, and in worst case scenarios street homelessness. Since the Conservative government came to power in 2010 homelessness has increased by 175%, with more than 4000 people sleeping rough every night in England alone.
People do not choose to live in squalid accommodation, hostels, dingy B&B’s, in tents or the streets. No person chooses to live with vulnerabilities, least of all children. Vulnerability is not a lifestyle choice; it is a condition people are predisposed to because of socio-economic engineering, disadvantage and inequality, further perpetuated through continuance of inhumane social policies.
In 2023 we had to listen to absurd political statements from our leaders’ claiming levels of homelessness were unacceptable and within the individuals’ control. Misguided statements lacking reflection or real understanding into the devastating impact of policies enforced without shame. No recognition that people are being forced to choose between eating, paying rent or heating homes and the national scandal this is.
Let us stand together to Make Equality Real and conceivable for politicians…

Calum Gallacher
SWU Assistant General Secretary
If you have something to say about issues raised by the Make Equality Real campaign please get in touch to discuss and contribute: calum.gallacher@swu-union.org.uk
We need member input to make the reality of austerity clear, and there is a low time demand of involvement:
- Video (30-60 seconds)
- Picture of you and quote (20 words) to
go out on social media - Your story (100 words)