It is hard to believe that Theresa May called a general election just seven weeks ago today. No one could have foreseen the dramatic twists and turns – from May’s fall in the polls and Jeremy Corbyn’s rise to manifesto leaks, U-turns and, of course, tragic terror attacks. In this short space of time we have become acutely aware of our failings and divisions, but conversely also the public services and values that bind us. With less than two days to go until voters mark their ballot papers, it’s time we started thinking about the moral message of it all. For me, it’s never been more clear how important tackling inequality is – not because it will solve the issue of terrorism, but because it will help to ensure that terror does not break us.

The issue of violent extremism is now front and centre in the campaign. It’s absolutely right for politicians to set out how they are going to keep us safe, and for those who have been negligent to be held to account. TV and radio have bombarded us with experts and their takes on the causes and solutions to Islamist extremism from a variety of social, psychological, political and ideological perspectives. My Facebook feed has been filled with rants about terrorism and what can be done. This is all to be expected. What I didn’t expect was an old friend calling for the internment of all Muslim suspects. Fear tends to bring out the worst in us.

Humans are most atrocious when we live under the weight of great inequalities | Danny Dorling Read more

As someone brought up Muslim, I’ve felt the need to think hard about what I can do and say in response to these attacks. I don’t agree with May that we have passively been tolerating extremism, but I thought I should at least consider how I might be more helpful at the grassroots level. The problem is I barely go to the mosque, and like most have never heard people in the Muslim community talk about using violence. I’ve encountered misogyny and homophobia yes, but never violence. Asked to go on Sky News in the aftermath of the attacks I found myself talking them out of having me on – I’m an economist and inequality expert, what do I know? But at a recent event about inequality and social tensions, it struck me that current discussions have been ignoring the other side of the equation.

The discussion should not only be about how extremism arises and how it can tackled, but what steps can be taken to make society more resilient against it. This is where tackling inequality is paramount.

Evidence shows that more unequal societies have lower levels of social cohesion that more equal societies. Those with greater wealth tend to have less empathy for others. Collectively, we have less trust in not only our political institutions, but also other individuals and communities. People in the most unequal societies are more likely to believe that high levels of competitiveness are good for society, and are less likely to be altruistic.

The UK has the third highest inequality levels of all high-income countries, which means that our society is akin to a dry forest – any small spark can set off a fire.

Importantly, there is also evidence to show that greater levels of economic exclusion, especially when it occurs along ethnic lines, leads to insular communities existing at the fringes of society. These are places where vulnerable young people are more susceptible to extreme ideologies. Of course, I’m not claiming that extremism is all about poverty or the lack of a voice in politics and culture, but we must mitigate the risks at every level. Tackling inequality represents a rare win-win.

Religious conservatism doesn’t make a terrorist. But crime and exclusion can | Z Fareen Parvez Read more

Xenophobic political leaders and commentators, along with the hate-filled media that accompanies terror attacks, put huge strains on multicultural Britain. Reports of racist and Islamophobic attacks have predictably increased – a doctor who treated victims after the Manchester attack was abused on his way back to the hospital. We may be able to keep calm and carry on, but we shouldn’t be naive about the work needed to strengthen the bonds that hold us together.

People are wrong to separate the issue of terrorism from issues of social justice, and we should refuse to allow the last few days of the electioneering to resemble a single issue campaign. When I vote for Labour on Thursday, I’ll not only be voting for the party that promises to reverse cuts to the police and is unafraid to tackle the problem of seed-money from Saudi Arabia, but for a party that will invest across our public services and reduce inequalities. That’s what us policy wonks call a joined-up approach.