IntroductionInequality is a topic that has been increasingly ignored by many in power for a considerable period of time. Jones (2012) talks about how it was considered an “airy irrelevance”: all that matters is that everyone's living standards were improving; however, this was not the case, especially in Great Britain. This essay will focus on Britain arguing that unless inequality is urgently addressed it will lead to a wide range of economic and social problems. Hence unequal spatial access to resources will need to be examined with a specific focus on opportunity and trust, two issues that need vital attention if poverty is to be alleviated. Politicians must take a central role in trying to eradicate inequality; Jackson and Segal (2004) argue that many people, including some on the left, express doubt that economic inequality matters for public policy. Wilkinson and Pickett (2009) in their book The Spirit Level: Why Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better, highlight that less equal societies tend to do worse when it comes to health, education and general well-being. This has been echoed by many others (Brandolini, 2007; Jackson and Segal, 2004; Jones, 2012; Smeeding, 2004, 2005, 2006), but the government has done little, resulting in inequality in Britain being the fourth highest highest among developing countries. (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009). Opponents of inequality will argue that if most of us are better off than before, does it matter if some are much, much better off than most? This is an issue that will need to be addressed as it is fundamental to promoting the thesis that inequality is an issue that concerns us all. Defining poverty Before continuing it is important to define what poverty...... middle of paper... .. resource that must be used to move forward as a country and alleviate poverty. Unequal access to opportunity“For me, the aim of social democracy is to create the kind of society in which the daughter of a Hartlepool shop assistant is as likely to become a High Court judge as the daughter of a Harley Street doctor . Peter Mandelson, 1998. The above statement by Peter Mandelson is a point that the UK should strive to work on. Jackson and Segal (2004) note that the richer you are, the greater your ability to do what you want without interference from others. Using the example above, the daughter of a Harley Street doctor would most likely get a good education and progress to university if she so desired. The daughter of a Hartlepool shop assistant may have exactly the same wishes but financially it may not be possible to do what she wants.