1st class,Rights,Equalit y,& Discrimination?

Apropos Foodbank mentioned somewhere in this thread, a friend offered her services to teach the food bank attendees how to feed a family of 4 for a week on 1 chicken + vegetables costing ( 2 years ago) about £10.
her offer was turned down because' they don't know how to cook"!. Nor did my friend and I but we bought a recipe book each and learned how to do so. Even public libraries could help here but it seems that some people are so low in initiative that the idea never strikes them of what is possible
Education for living..... Pah!

Well said NanaandGrampy, I agree with you wholeheartedly.

Even though we have the Equalities Act, which technically brought to the UK "equal opportunity for any person no matter what their gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age" I feel it is barely enforced. I'm not even sure it's fully implemented yet?
And enforcing the equalities act need people to be EMPOWERED and strong. If you are downtrodden and abused it's not something that's easy to enforce... and neither is it easy to "stick one's neck out" on behalf of others....

Nope it doesn’t exist, not for us lot down the lower line anyway.

Most people never could make these choices.

We all have choices. some send their children to Public School so they are paying twice for their off-spring's education, same thing applies to health, if you pay for private health care you pay twice.I would never make those choices but c'est la vie!!

The building firms want to make a profit , what is affordable ?

And not enough even ‘affordable’ whatever that means.

Not social housing Jalima, yet you are right houses are being built and sold

^ Housing isn’t^
We need more of that - strange really, that there is a lack because wherever we go there seem to be more and more houses being built.

I was talking to a Mum this morning who is pleased her son has completed his apprenticeship and has employment with a local building firm. It isn’t academic achievement that is important it is to achieve what one sets out to achieve.

Health care is available to all, education too. Housing isn’t

You are right Sparkly when you say "Just because we think Equality isn’t happening, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try for it, surely?"

I believe we should look at any policy change in that way and ask "will this change make our society fairer or less fair?, more equal or more unequal?".

There is such a double standard. Conservatives believe in low taxation, especially for the very rich. They talk about incentives to work harder. Apparently you incentivise the rich by making them richer, and the poor by making them poorer.

Agree Jalimall08 everyone has a place in society, and all help the wheels turn round.

Some who are slower learners may not be able to achieve these high-flying careers and high salaries however hard they may try - but whatever job they may do is essential for the smooth running of our society.
Therefore, access to reasonably priced decent housing, health services and education for their families is essential.

Agree Anniebach, I have always been a parent helper at my children's primary schools. Have friends who are teachers, and they echo your post.

There are a lot of good teachers out there who notice their pupils home life and do their best to encourage them.

GrannyGravy, it is so sad for children who are not given encouragement, parents who will not even attend school parents evenings , even so, some children do make it .

Agree Mawbroon about equality of access to housing, health services and education.

Just because we think Equality isn’t happening, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try for it, surely?

Anniebach I think you summed the situation up with one word - determination.

Hats off to your Grandchildren x

A ceasefire grandad1943 ?

GrannyGravy, my grandson has worked so hard, went to a comprehensive, then on to university, a first in economics, a very good job, will soon sit his charted accountancy exams , he is 26, has just put in an offer for his first property, he had a supportive mother, has a supportive father, a carpenter, and a supportive grannie ! But he did the work , years of studying . His sister has just graduated this year , starts work with a legal firm next week and will continue with studies , the third starts university this year, all achieved through years of study and determination and encouragement

Grandad1943 , Anniebach I agree with you both.

Quote anniebach [I agree with your post grandad1943]

Well, anniebach there has to be a first for everything. I think that we are even agreeing over on the Brexit threads at times now.

To think Brexit bringing people to agree. Now, that really has to be a first.

I think no matter what circumstances you are born into, with free education, healthcare and the safety net of the welfare system, people have choices.

If you are from an impoverished family, you can work your socks off at school, learn as much as you can to give yourself a stepping stone out of poverty.

Brought in by the Blair/Brown government

I agree with your post grandad1943

Equality in Britain has never been about the distribution of wealth. In that, since 2010 that provision has been firmly entrenched in the Equality Act which replaced and encompassed much other discrimination legislation such as that concerning age, disability, gender, marriage & civil partnership, pregnancy & maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and Fairness at Work.

The Equalities Act also made it unlawful to treat someone less favourably because they work part-time or are on a fixed term contract. In that, the act was one of the most comprehensive pieces of legislation passed by the UK Parliament in my view since the Health & Safety at Work Act came into being in 1974.

Therefore and without doubt, the introduction of the above legislation brought to the UK an equal opportunity for any person no matter what their gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age the ability to make the most of the life skills they possess or gain throughout life, in equal opportunity with all others.

In that, what wealth that brings to anyone in that equality of opportunity is entirely for them to concern themselves with, and that's the way it should be.

Where did I say that Annie for goodness sake ? Please read what I said again . I only used Kensington in the example of huge inequality in council tax . Nothing else!