ABSTRACT
France and Britain have witnessed a dramatic increase in socio-economic inequalities. In the meantime poverty has lost much of its political significance, and egalitarian discourses their force and legitimacy. The chapter highlights the logic behind this paradox, while stressing the common trends and the continuities behind the national differences. It argues that both countries have witnessed the manifestations of the same ideological phenomenon, which can best be described as the implementation of the neo-liberal political agenda. The chapter discusses the neo-liberal attitude towards inequalities as developed in Britain during the eighties. Perhaps the most important aspect of these developments is that this attitude towards inequalities led to a striking change in the appreciation of poverty. More notably the highly publicised 'Commission on Social Justice' put poverty - and inequalities - back on the agenda. This strategic document provides a clear view of New Labour's ideological muddle.
