LONDON, March 2 (UPI) -- The city of London has said the recently released Equalities Review fails to recognize the social and economic factors which create inequality.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said in a statement the review which had been tasked with investigating the causes of persistent discrimination and inequality in British society contained "no systematic investigation into structural and institutional discrimination and suggests individual choice, not discrimination, is often the cause of inequality."
"If that approach was adopted it would result in the agenda for equality being pushed back many years," Livingstone said Thursday.
The review released Wednesday has been criticized for failing to understand discrimination was a key criticism of its previous interim report. The mayor said some factors identified in the report included suggestions giving the home learning environment a more influential "socio-economic status" in producing good educational outcomes.
"There is barely a mention of the impact of discrimination and negative attitudes in the educational system and other institutions," Livingstone said.
The city of London also criticized assertions in the review attributing inequality experienced by Pakistani and Bangladeshi women in the labor market to discrimination.
"The Equality Review's blame on individuals for the inequality they experience and lack of analysis of structural and institutional discrimination is a fundamental flaw," the mayor said.
Analysis of these issues is essential for the development of policy, service delivery and legal reform for society to be fundamentally more equal, he added.
