By Jamie Livingstone, Head of Oxfam Scotland

SCOTLAND’S politicians say they want to reduce economic inequality – now they have the chance to prove it with the creation of a new Poverty and Inequality Commission. The fact this platform will soon be established is highly positive, but its design will be critical.

A powerful and independent body is essential to help create the space and confidence needed for courageous policymaking in Scotland, living up to our commitment under the Sustainable Development Goals agreed upon by world leaders to “leave no-one behind”.

Across the world, economic inequality is extreme and rising with Oxfam’s latest analysis showing just eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion who make up the poorest half of humanity. At the same time, more than a billion people around the world still live in extreme poverty.

Oxfam has for some time been campaigning for greater political action to narrow the gap globally and at national level – including here in Scotland, where income inequality before housing costs is at levels last seen in the early 1990s. After housing costs are accounted for income inequality is at record levels. Wealth inequality is even starker: the wealthiest one per cent own more than the bottom 50% put together.

Encouragingly, there is strong public support in Scotland for a more equal society. Our latest polling shows three-quarters of people favour wealth being shared more equally than it is now, with just under two-thirds – some 64 per cent – believing politicians should do more to narrow the gap. Fifty-eight per cent said they would support an independent body set up by government to propose policy solutions, while tracking progress.

Significant levers to reduce inequality are reserved to the UK level, but Holyrood has powers it could use: from tax and social protection to policies around economic development, procurement, planning and education. A number of positive steps have been taken to lay the foundations for progress, including making the reduction of inequality a core priority within Scotland’s Economic Strategy and action around fair work and job quality. Strong statements of concern about inequality have been made by all of the parties represented in the Scottish Parliament.

However, despite this momentum, the policies to address inequality are not currently in place. This is the challenge for the commission: to identify and recommend policy solutions which are as bold as they need to be – based on evidence and mature analysis.

As our new report makes clear, economic inequality in Scotland is at high levels, including significant inequalities between women and men, young and old, and between geographic areas across Scotland. It highlights the relationship between poverty and inequality and shows how, at a time when one in five people in Scotland still live in poverty, we must address economic inequality in order to effectively tackle poverty.

Critically, it makes a series of common sense recommendations about how the commission should be set up if we are serious about making progress. We believe it should be fully independent of the Scottish Government; both in practice and perception, and that it should have full autonomy to set its own work streams. It should maintain a sharp focus on overall economic inequality and explore how devolved powers can be used to their fullest to reduce it – including across key areas like tax and social protection, education, economic development, procurement and public spending.

As it does so, the commission must take a longer view, looking beyond the normal rhythms of politics. It should have the freedom to propose new policies over the medium to long term to narrow the gap whilst looking beyond Scotland to consider whether international best practice can be emulated here.

It should be representative of the Scottish population in terms of gender balance and ensure it is politically neutral. The commission must also scrutinise existing policies as well as new proposals made by government, political parties, academics, and others to assess their impact on inequality. And it should track the progress Scotland makes by issuing a “state of the nation” report each year.

Setting up the commission in this way will take political courage, but it will give it the best chance to proactively explore the measures needed to build a more human economy – one in which people, not profit, are the bottom line and which prioritises the most vulnerable.

The first steps on this journey may be difficult, but they are necessary. A powerful and independent Poverty and Inequality Commission can help guide the way to a more equal Scotland – something Scotland’s politicians, on all sides, say they support. Now it is crucial that they give the commission the tools and resources it needs to do its job.