Fairness and justice in Britain

Using data collected through the European Social Survey (ESS) this chapter explores the extent to which the British public believes that the political and judicial system and the distribution of wealth in Britain is fair and just, drawing comparisons with citizens of other Western European countries. Concerns about fairness and justice may lead to discontent with the way politics operates, and we also consider the relationships between people’s perceptions of fairness and justice and their attitudes towards a number of key institutions in British public life, and the ways in which they engage with politics in Britain.

Spotlight

Only 20% of the British public think that differences in wealth in Britain are fair, whilst a majority (59%) think that wealth differences in Britain are unfairly large and a further 16% think that differences in wealth are unfairly small.

In your opinion, are differences in wealth in Britain unfairly small, fair, or unfairly large? 

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