Inequality is of greater concern today than for many years. Politicians as diverse as Theresa May, Barack Obama and Jeremy Corbyn have proclaimed its centrality.
Yet we don’t know exactly what it is about inequality that bothers people so much or why some people are not concerned at all. Or even what kind of inequality matters. Is it that global cities like London are doing so well, and other places are doing so badly? Is it the existence of “fat cats” who earn so much and are seen to contribute so little? What about hard-working “fat cats”, or “fat cats” that bring prosperity to others?
Is it that gaps in life expectancy across space and across class are large and expanding? Or is it that education and family life are so much better for some than for others? Or is it that many people feel left behind, not only in the struggle for prosperity, but also in their ability to participate in society through politics, with many feeling that people like them are not represented in government?