The British define fairness as everyone going through the same process. Equal access to the same procedure, applied consistently, is what fair treatment means.
This is why queue-jumping provokes genuine moral anger—it violates the principle that no one gets special treatment. In practice, this means consultation before decisions is not optional; people expect to be asked, even when their input will not change the outcome. Being excluded from the process feels unfair regardless of the result.
If you announce a decision without consulting those affected, expect resentment that has nothing to do with whether the decision was right. The process of asking is what makes it fair. Apply rules and procedures consistently. Any perception that someone received different treatment through different channels creates friction that is hard to repair.
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