Why inequality gets ignored - Barry's Economics

In this video I dig into why massive inequality so often gets brushed aside or minimised — even when it’s staring us in the face. From the way the media frames wealth taxes as “punishing success,” to how politicians and journalists overwhelmingly come from privileged backgrounds, to the psychology of the bystander effect and system justification bias — there are powerful forces that keep inequality hidden in plain sight.

I’ll share some of the research, history, and examples that explain why people ignore or even defend a system that doesn’t work for most of us. And more importantly, how we can start changing the story.

I’m Barry Ferns – a comedian whose personal journey through failure, homelessness, and rebuilding led me to explore the socio and behavioural economics of inequality.

This channel digs into how systems of power shape our identity, behaviour, and beliefs, and how we can shift the stories we tell ourselves and each other about poverty, inequality, and who’s to blame.

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📚 Sources & Further Reading

I’ve pulled together some of the research and articles mentioned in this video — if you’d like to explore further:

Education & Power in the UK
- Only ~7% of the UK population go to private school (Sutton Trust, Elitist Britain 2019, 2023).
- Recent Conservative Cabinets (2010s–2020s): ~55% privately educated.
- UK Governments since 1940s: 50%+ privately educated.
- Prime Ministers since 1945: ~76% privately educated (20% went to Eton).
- Journalists: ~43% of top columnists privately educated (Sutton Trust, 2019).

Wealth Tax Narratives

- FT Adviser (2025): “The wealth tax whisper is already costing Britain dearly.”
- The Times: “Why a wealth tax won’t work.”
- Telegraph (2025): “Wealth tax will penalise savers.”
- FT: “The problem with taxing the rich” — billionaires are mobile.

Behavioural Economics & Psychology

- Availability Heuristic — Tversky & Kahneman (1973).
- System Justification Bias — Jost & Banaji (1994).
- Bystander Effect — Latané & Darley (1968, Smoky Room Study).
- Kitty Genovese case (1964) — often cited as a real-world example.

Wealth Tax Evidence

- Norway’s wealth tax has helped reduce inequality (IMF 2021, OECD).

Relevant Media

Gary Stevenson on The Rest Is Politics (2024):
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4NViUfx0aK98G2Qtp6yqUB
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-rest-is-politics/id1611374639?i=1000670520161