A university education has many benefits, yet it comes with huge downsides for society
There’s a common assumption that when the state gets involved in providing services or investment, it’s to act as a leveller. Whether it’s schools, hospitals or libraries, the job of government is to redistribute opportunities and provide protection to those who fall on harder times.
Yet there are some clear instances where state spending actually increases inequality. Take public investment in transport and infrastructure: in the five years to 2019-20, the government spent about £12,000 per person in London, the richest part of the UK, compared with just £8,000 in the north.
