Alun Francis, the former chairman of the now-closed Social Mobility Commission (SMC), has described Labour's initiative to treat social class discrimination as equivalent to racism and sexism as a "mistake." Francis expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the new approach and raised concerns about the lack of independent oversight for a newly announced government unit tasked with reducing class inequalities.

Bridget Phillipson, the equalities minister, announced last week the creation of Whitehall's first dedicated team focused on class inequalities, 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. A key task for the unit will be to implement a socio-economic duty, a legal requirement for public bodies to consider the impact of their decisions on lower-income families regarding services, transport, and budgets.

Francis, speaking to the BBC, stated, "If they [the government] have decided that a unit for class offers a better way forward for their agenda then I wish them well. I don't think they're right and I think it's a mistake." He questioned the expertise of the new body and highlighted the challenges in defining social class, noting its complexity when attempting to design targeted interventions.

"There are serious problems of definition around class," Francis told Radio 4's The Westminster Hour. "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."

The government stated that the new unit aims to address how class influences treatment and opportunities, with a focus on areas such as public services, health disparities, and employment access. The proposed socio-economic duty has been previously advocated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and was part of Labour's manifesto commitments. The initiative reportedly includes a specific focus on improving outcomes for white working-class individuals, acknowledging concerns about this group being overlooked in recent years.

The SMC, established in 2010, was tasked with assessing and promoting social mobility in the UK. According to the department, its work has not directly influenced government policy in the past decade. Phillipson indicated that the SMC's functions would be integrated into the heart of government.

Joy Morrissey, the Conservative shadow equalities minister, has previously criticized Phillipson's plans, warning against increased bureaucracy. 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."