UK establishes unit to address class inequality
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Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities, created a new Class Unit within the UK government to focus on improving opportunities for people from low-income families and disadvantaged communities.
The unit will work to reduce child poverty and address inequalities in areas like public services, health, and employment. This initiative marks a shift in government approach, bringing social mobility work directly into the core of government operations.
The government is closing the Social Mobility Commission as part of a broader review of outside agencies, believing that ministers should be directly responsible for improving social mobility. The new Class Unit will operate alongside existing units focused on race, gender, LGBT+ rights, and disability, acknowledging the intersection of class with other forms of inequality. One early action of the unit will be implementing a socio-economic duty, legally requiring public organizations to consider how their decisions impact lower-income families.
The government points to previous actions like abolishing the two-child limit, raising the National Living Wage, and strengthening worker’s rights as evidence of its commitment to reducing inequality. They plan to continue shifting power and resources to local communities to support economic growth and improve services.
