Latest news
What’s happening to tackle inequality in Cambridge.
Older people must ‘chip in’ to pay for rising health costs amid rental and pay pressures for young: David Willetts
Baby boomers born between 1945 and 1967 must pay more to contribute to the welfare bill that will support them in old age, the Rt Hon Lord David Willetts said in Cambridge on Thursday. Older people on generous pensions and asset rich must help millennials born after 1980 ‘dodge the bullet’ of paying for the
Danny Dorling: ‘Stop the stupid competition between schools to bring down inequality’
Danny Dorling made an impassioned plea for a better education system in the UK at the second in our series of visionary talks on fairness, imagine2027. The Oxford Professor of Geography showed how inequalities in his city were fueling deep divides in outcomes for children, entrenching inequality for generations to come. Instead he called for
‘Global finance should serve the real economy, not the other way round’ – Ann Pettifor kicks of imagine2027
Economist Ann Pettifor got the imagine2027 series off to a cracking start with a call to rein in global finance in order to build a more stable, fairer economy. The director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics (PRIME), a network of economists concerned with Keynesian monetary theory, Pettifor said global finance must serve the real economy,
For The Common Good: Tackling Inequality In Cambridge
On the 19th July this year the Steering Committee of The Cambridge Commons suspended its usual monthly agenda to conduct a critical self-assessment. It was three years almost to the day since a handful of us, disturbed by the substantial incidence of poverty in such a prosperous city, and partly inspired by The Spirit Level,
McStrike workers’ mission will benefit us all
As people of Cambridge, we should applaud the McDonald’s workers in Newmarket Road. The first staff at the firm to strike in UK history, they are leading the way on behalf of millions of workers across the country on zero hours contracts and low wages. But they are also leading the way for all the rest
Plans to close children’s centres shows we are not ‘serious about tackling inequality’ – Zeichner
The proposed closure of four Cambridge children’s centres shows we are not serious about tackling inequality and improving family health, according to local MP Daniel Zeichner. The MP was responding to proposals outlined in a consultation currently available to the public. Those who came to our April Saturday morning Our Cambridge meeting with Pat Mackenzie heard about her Kings
The Cambridge Commons in 2018: Our plans for mobilising local people against inequality
We recently met as a steering group of The Cambridge Commons to explore our strengths, weaknesses, and areas of focus. This was a rare chance to think beyond our active projects, like the nationally significant work we’re doing on imagine2027. We agreed a working assumption that our name (‘The Cambridge Commons’) and core mission (‘We raise awareness of harmful inequalities in Cambridge
Zero Carbon Cambridge vision wins funding from influential trust
We are delighted to have won a grant from the Andrew Wainwright Reform Trust to promote the vision of a zero-carbon Cambridge. The idea is to bring together a coalition of local civil society organisations to promote and realise a popular campaign, ‘Cambridge can do Better’, to make the City and its surrounds a zero-carbon
‘Cambridge deserves better’ – consortium to demand more consultation in Greater Cambridge Partnership
The Cambridge Commons has joined forces with a consortium of voluntary groups, parish councils and residents associations to lobby for changes to the City Deal. The consortium wants the now renamed ‘Greater Cambridge Partnership’ to offer greater transparency and a more consultative planning process that takes account of local people. To discuss this with Mayor James Palmer,
imagine2027: Book now for major series on inequality and unfairness in Britain
Tickets are now available for the first events in our major new series on inequality and fairness, imagine2027. From October, we have been bringing nationally-recognized thought-leaders to Cambridge to give personal, positive views on how Britain can be better and fairer in 2027. 2017 Events (see the recordings here Ann Pettifor – Fair Economy, 12 October 2017
Why ‘affordable’ housing is no longer affordable in Cambridge – discussion with Surjit Dhande from Cambridge Housing Association
Is it any wonder we have a housing crisis in Cambridge? At the last in our current series of ‘Our Cambridge’ cafe style discussion groups, Surjit Dhande from the Cambridge Housing Association explained how government policy has shifted and with it the housing base for people on low incomes. The rent for social housing had
Why City Deal should be paused to prevent widening of inequality in Cambridge
The Cambridge Commons has decided to lobby the City Deal board to “pause” the road works and their infrastructure proposals in the light of crucial evidence given to the government Planning Inspector last week. The inspector was re-convening the examination of the joint Local Plans of the Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire councils, having so