UK Government Establishes New Equalities Unit Focusing on Class Inequality

The government's shakeup of its equalities work will also see the abolition of the Social Mobility Commission, which has been deemed insufficiently effective in guiding policy. The new unit will serve as a central hub for analyzing class and socioeconomic inequalities impacting public services and outcomes. One of its initial priorities will be implementing a socioeconomic duty, compelling public bodies to consider the impact of their decisions on lower-income families.

Further plans include revising the methods used to measure deprivation nationwide and reassessing funding distribution for services like childcare and health. An independent inquiry into the educational performance of white working-class children found that the education system was not adequately serving their interests, highlighting a crisis in underachievement. The inquiry recommended encouraging high-performing schools to admit more disadvantaged pupils from this demographic.

Previous statements from Phillipson, as the former education secretary, indicated a commitment to fighting for white working-class children, acknowledging that generations have been "robbed of opportunity." The inquiry, supported by the Department for Education, sought to understand the reasons behind this demographic's lowest performance in England's school system. However, the Sutton Trust has cautioned against creating divisions between different disadvantaged groups, noting similar challenges faced by Black Caribbean students.