Wealth inequality risks triggering ‘societal collapse’ within next decade, report finds

Intro:

Growing wealth inequality in the UK could be a “major driver of societal collapse” within the next decade, according to a new report.

The warning comes from an expert roundtable of senior figures from politics, government, academia, business and civil society, which concluded the country is currently on a trajectory of decline, with wealth inequality undermining social cohesion and a risk of further deterioration without intervention.

The report, by the Fairness Foundation and the Policy Institute and Department of War Studies at King’s College London, also looked at public attitudes, finding two-thirds (63%) of Britons now think the very rich have too much influence on politics in the UK – far higher than the share who say the same about businesses (40%), religious organisation (40%) or international organisations like the EU and UN (38%)