Head of Scrapped Social Mobility Body Calls Labour's Class Discrimination Plan a 'Mistake'

Labour's initiative to place social class discrimination on par with racial and sexual discrimination is an ineffective approach, according to Alun Francis, the former chairman of the Social Mobility Commission (SMC). Francis also expressed concern over the lack of independent scrutiny for a new unit announced by ministers to address class inequalities.

Bridget Phillipson, the equalities minister, recently announced the creation of Whitehall's first dedicated team focused on reducing class inequalities and discrimination, coinciding with the closure of the SMC. This new unit will operate within the Office for Equality and Opportunity, alongside existing teams for race, gender, LGBT, and disability rights.

One of the new unit's primary responsibilities will be to implement a socio-economic duty. This will legally obligate public bodies to consider how their decisions on matters such as transport, services, and budgets can improve the lives of lower-income families.

The SMC, established in 2010, will be closed as part of these changes. Francis told the BBC that while he wished the government well with their agenda, he believed their approach was a mistake. He questioned the new body's potential expertise and highlighted the difficulties in defining social class.

"There are serious problems of definition around class," Francis stated. "Do we define it by occupation or income or culture? Each of those have their own challenges. It's a very useful concept sometimes for broad understanding of broad patterns. But when it comes down to designing interventions focused on individuals or individual groups, it's a very blunt tool."

Phillipson has described social class as a "deep barrier to opportunity" and stated that the new unit will examine how class influences people's treatment and life chances. This includes assessing the experiences of working-class individuals with public services, health disparities, and access to employment. The government indicated that while the unit will address outcomes for the working class generally, there will be a particular focus on improving the situation for white working-class people, who are perceived to have been neglected in recent years.

The government aims for the socio-economic duty to be a new power within the Equality Act, aligning with a previous call from the Equality and Human Rights Commission and a Labour Party manifesto commitment. The SMC, previously known as the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, was established to assess and promote social mobility in the UK. However, the department noted no instances in the past decade where its work directly informed government policy.

Francis mentioned that Phillipson had apologized for what he perceived as an attack on his work. Joy Morrissey, the Conservative shadow equalities minister, has also criticized Phillipson's plans, warning against the imposition of "more bureaucracy" and stating that "White working-class boys do not need another Labour quango lecturing them about identity and privilege."

Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, welcomed the government's announcement but cautioned against the use of "crude class labels."