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Published: 17th June, 2011

THE celebrated academic at the helm of Islington’s groundbreaking egalitarian charter, the Fairness Commission, initially refused the job, it was revealed this week.

Professor Richard Wilkinson, whose book The Spirit Level – Why Equality is Better, co-written with Kate Pickett, inspired the Fairness Commission, originally told Islington Council that he was “too busy” to chair the meetings.

Labour leader Catherine West explained how she contacted Professor Wilkinson through his brother Martin, a member of the local Quaker group to which she belongs.

“I had read Professor Wilkinson’s book before the last local elections and was extremely impressed with his arguments,” Cllr West said. “After we were voted in to run the council I decided to contact him personally and offer him the chance to put his words into action.

“First he said he didn’t have the time. But I managed to persuade him to change his mind. I pointed out that this was an opportunity to use his own ideas to help transform and bring about a more equal and just society. Local council, I pointed out, is much more than just emptying bins and running schools.”

The rest is history. It’s a year since the Fairness Commission was launched in the borough and it has captured the imagination and the hopes of a large public and a new generation of radicals.

Meetings are regularly packed and now the Fairness idea is being embraced in different forms, not just in other parts of London but all over Britain, including Nottingham, Liverpool and York.

Cllr West said she was proud that her council had been among the first to recognise the importance of Professor Wilkinson’s ideas. 

“Now, with the new report, our aim is to look at every aspect of our society in Islington, including the council itself, and ensure that as far as possible wages and conditions are fair.”

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