Jeremy Corbyn is promising to tackle 5 social 'ills' if he stays on as Labour leader
Current Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will promise to tackle "5 ills of 21st Century Britain" in a speech he will give in central London on Thursday morning.
Corbyn, who is launching his campaign ahead of a head-to-head contest with moderate challenger Owen Smith, will promise to take on inequality, neglect, insecurity, prejudice, and discrimination.
He will outline his vision for moving the country "decisively towards a society in which opportunity and prosperity is truly shared... in which no individual is held back … and no community left behind."
He is also set to announce specific policies which he believes will contribute to a fairer Britain. In his speech, sent to Business Insider ahead of his delivery at 10 a.m. BST, Corbyn will:
- Make employers with 21 staff of more publish equality pay audits - detailing how much each person is paid for their job, alongside recognised equality characteristics;
- Commit funding for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission.
The speech focuses primarily on how Corbyn wants the British workplace to be a more fair and just place for people to make a living.
"So this is about making our economy stronger," he will say. "The workplace fairer … reducing the discrimination that holds people back."
He will promise to fight for the workplace rights of young people, the disabled, and black and ethnic minority workers.
Those who are familiar with Labour Party history will spot similarities between Corbyn's speech on Wednesday and the Beveridge report of 1942. William Beveridge, who is one of the party's most celebrated figures to this day, outlined squalor, ignorance, want, idleness, and disease as the 5 ills which faced Britain at the time. The report led to radical welfare policies like the creation of the National Health Service.
It is a bold move from Corbyn to align himself with Beveridge. It puts pressure on Smith to give a vision just as impressive when he makes his leadership pitch to the party membership.
The result of the leadership contest will be announced on September 24. In the past 48 hours, over 180,000 people have signed up take part in the election. Those close to Corbyn are confident that the vast majority of these new members are supporters of the under-pressure socialist leader, according to the New Stateman's George Eaton.
Business Insider's Adam Payne will be attending the launch. Follow @adampayne26 for live coverage.