"Deep sense of fairness not driven by self interest"

People don't like to think they live in an unfair world, so people will justify inequalities in order to make them fair, according to new Fabian research.
The credit crunch changed things and gave way to a new willingness to challenge high wages and whether they were fair, said Fabian research director Tim Horton.
New Fabian research showed negative attitudes to those on low incomes and a widespread belief in adequate opportunities exist for everyone. 69% say this.
UK is quite unusual in having this belief. Only 30% believe many people find it hard to overcome the obstacles the face because of their background.
It also found a widespread belief that people on benefits would not contribute to society in the future.
But, said Horton, people do care about inequality when they are given the facts about it.
The credit crunch has opened up space for rethinking what's fair at the top. Many people have a deep sense of fairness which is not necessarily driven by self interest, added Horton.