AN independent commission formed to explore inequality and injustice across Greater Manchester has set out a range of measures for tackling disparities.

The Independent Inequalities Commission was launched in October 2020 with a six-month mission to examine inequalities across the city-region.

Their findings highlight a range of progressive actions already being taken in Greater Manchester and elsewhere and consider how they can be embedded within public service delivery at all levels.

Recommendations include strengthening the mandate of equalities panels, establishing an independent Anti-Discrimination body, working with education and training providers, along with community wealth building and investment initiatives.

During their six-month investigation the Commission took stock of existing evidence and good practice, engaging with stakeholders in the business, public, voluntary and community sectors.

This included the collaborative work between Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership and the Marmot Team at the Institute of Health Equity at University College London to develop Greater Manchester as the UK’s first Marmot city region, ensuring that policies and resources are geared towards creating a fairer, more equal society. The analysis and recommendations from the collaboration will be published in spring 2021 and will support ongoing conversations in Greater Manchester around inequalities in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cllr Brenda Warrington, GMCA Lead for Equalities, said: “The Independent Inequalities Commission has shone a light on the vast amount of good work already being done in many areas across our city-region, and we are grateful to Prof Kate Pickett and her colleagues for their dedication to this exercise.

“We’ve always been guided by a strong commitment to equality and wellbeing, and the challenge for us now is to make sure these principles are woven into the fabric of every strategy, every initiative, and every partnership we undertake. Our equalities panels and the groups with which we work will play a vital role in this process.”