A cross-party group has been set up to look at ways of tackling inequality and promoting fairness in the borough.

The Barnet Fairness Commission is a year-long project that will take evidence from independent experts, local authorities and members of the public.

Due to launch on July 18, the commission will be made up of councillors, residents and community organisations.

Barnet’s Labour Group pledged to set up a fairness commission to look at all of the council’s policies as part of its election manifesto in 2018.

Despite losing the election, the group decided to press ahead with plans for a commission to focus on four key areas: mapping inequality and community resources; building community infrastructure and a thriving social enterprise sector; strengthening community cohesion and tackling hate crime; addressing gender inequality and ending domestic violence and abuse.

The commission will hold several public hearings before producing a final report in summer 2020.

It is hoped the findings will be used to influence local and national policy, as well as providing ideas that can be taken up by local communities.

The commission includes two Labour councillors, Reema Patel and Ross Houston, former Barnet Conservative councillor Kate Salinger, and Liberal Democrat local election candidate Richard Logue.

Cllr Patel, who is Labour lead on adults and social care, said: “This commission will look at what we can do to tackle poverty, address gender inequality, build greater cohesion across our diverse communities and create a Barnet we all have a stake in.”

More information on the commission is available at:

http://barnetfairnesscommission.co.uk/

Members of the public can submit written evidence to the commission by emailing office@barnetfairnesscommission.co.uk or by completing an online questionnaire.

The commission will be launched at a public meeting at 6pm on Thursday, July 18 at the Trinity Church Hall in Colindale.