Why we need a fairer Britain

Britain is grossly unfair, disfigured by a broken social contract and unsustainable levels of inequality. How can we build a more equal country?

In The Fair Necessities, Will Snell argues that unfair inequality undermines everything from faith in government to economic growth, yet a fairer country is within reach. Drawing on cutting-edge research and interviews with public figures, the book sets out the moral, political and policy cases for tackling inequality and explains how to build a broad, cross-party consensus for a fairer society.

Bringing together leading experts from academia, policy, and civil society, this event will examine how inequality lies at the heart of our problems in contemporary Britain. Our speakers will explore what a genuinely fair society might look like — from the reform of public services and the tax system to housing, work, and opportunity — and ask what it will take to make it happen.

Meet our speakers and chair

Will Snell is the founding Chief Executive of the Fairness Foundation, which aims to change the debate about fairness in the UK and to encourage political leadership on tackling socio-economic inequality. A graduate of the University of Oxford, he initially worked in government at the Department of Health and the Department for International Development. He then held senior roles at a global health NGO and a global tax reform think tank before setting up Tax Justice UK in 2017 and the Fairness Foundation in 2021. Will was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2023.

Kate Pickett OBE FRSA FFPH FAcSS is Professor for the Public Understanding of Social Science and director of the Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change at the University of York. She is also academic co-director of Health Equity North. Kate is co-author of The Spirit Level (2009) and The Inner Level (2018). Her latest book, The Good Society, was published by Bodley Head in February 2026. Kate is a co-founder of Equality Trust and a trustee of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance. She received an OBE in 2023 for services to societal equality.

Aaron Reeves is a Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology at LSE where he works on the political economy of health and social stratification. His latest book – Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite – was published by Harvard University Press.

Armine Ishkanian is the Executive Director of the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme at the International Inequalities Institute and Professor in the Department of Social Policy at LSE. Her research focuses on the relationship between civil society, democracy, development, and social transformation.

More about this event

The International Inequalities Institute at LSE brings together experts from many of the School's departments and centres to lead cutting-edge research focused on understanding why inequalities are escalating in numerous arenas across the world, and to develop critical tools to address these challenges.

From time to time there are changes to event details so we strongly recommend that if you plan to attend this event you check back on this listing on the day of the event.

Whilst we are hosting this listing, LSE Events does not take responsibility for the running and administration of this event. While we take responsible measures to ensure that accurate information is given here this event is ultimately the responsibility of the organisation presenting the event.

LSE holds a wide range of events, covering many of the most controversial issues of the day, and speakers at our events may express views that cause offence. The views expressed by speakers at LSE events do not reflect the position or views of the London School of Economics and Political Science.