Hi ,

Another week, another set of numbers showing the same thing: inequality is not an unfortunate side effect of our economy. 

Research from the New Economics Foundation found that more people are falling into debt simply to cover essentials like food, rent, and heating. Debt, researcher Hollie Wright argues, is no longer about lifestyle spending but survival in an economy where wages, welfare, and living costs no longer match reality.

At the same time, analysis from LSE Inequalities, drawing on data from the World Inequality Lab, showed that educational inequality globally is even greater than income inequality. Poorer regions receive dramatically less public investment per child, entrenching disadvantage across generations.

These are not separate problems. And they aren’t just rhetorical. One peek at the news, and we can see this in real time. Again. And again. 

Educational inequality creates economic insecurity → Economic insecurity drives debt
→ Debt limits future opportunities. At the same time, wealth continues to concentrate at the top, extracting opportunity and resources from the rest of us through essentials like housing, income, and social security. 

And the dominant narrative ignores this structural cycle. Instead embedding a meritocratic belief that if we just work hard enough, or smart enough then we can have it all. And if we don't have it all? It's our own doing. Our own failure to secure opportunities to exploit.

Welcome to life in 2026, where the myth of meritocracy shines bright. 

This is why we exist. To challenge unhelpful myths and shift narratives. To ensure that people closest to the issue are involved in diagnosing the problem and finding solutions.  

As an organisation, we know that solving our struggling economy and supporting hurt communities means building a more equal society. That is why we work with others to build a social movement for change, support collective action, and amplify the voices of those demanding something better.

If you find this exciting you might be interested in our project with a group of Community Economists - people with no formal economic training but who are interested in exploring what kind of economy and governance structures we need to have the resources and mandate required for everyone to have a good life.