The chair of the government's own advisory body has issued a stark warning that Prime Minister Keir Starmer lacks a coherent strategy to tackle the deep-rooted inequalities blighting the life chances of millions across the UK.
A Warning From the Watchdog
In an exclusive interview, Alun Francis, chair of the Social Mobility Commission (SMC), said that while the government talks frequently about social mobility, it fails to present a unified plan. "We have a government that talks quite a lot about social mobility, but mainly about individuals," Francis stated. "What we don't have is a coherent approach to social mobility as a useful concept that you can build a strategy around."
This criticism follows the SMC's major annual report published last week, which painted a bleak picture of "entrenched disadvantages" in Britain's former industrial heartlands. The report found that while cities like Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bristol are thriving, opportunities remain dangerously "over-concentrated," leaving communities in the North East, North West, and Midlands behind.
The Scale of the Crisis
The commission's findings are compounded by alarming new official statistics. The data shows an increase of 85,000 young people unemployed in the three months to October, marking the sharpest rise in youth unemployment for three years. Nearly one million young people are now classified as Neet – not in education, employment, or training.
The risk of becoming Neet is more than double for those from disadvantaged backgrounds with low qualifications. Alan Milburn, the former Labour health secretary, labelled the situation a "national outrage ... a social injustice and an economic catastrophe." Milburn has been appointed to lead a major review into the root causes of youth worklessness.
A Call for a Clear Narrative
Francis acknowledged some positive government moves on devolution and housing but criticised other areas like welfare reform as "stop-start." He expressed uncertainty over policies on growth and educational improvement.
He warned that without an overarching strategy, social mobility risks being swallowed up by diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) policies – an agenda heavily criticised by Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. "[Social mobility] isn't really a DEI policy," Francis argued. "It's more about an economic and social policy that's about bringing the benefits to everybody."
Francis, appointed by the Cabinet Office in January 2023, blamed successive governments for a focus on "quick fixes" and Westminster's frenetic pressures, leading to "constant changes of direction." He urged Starmer to outline a bold vision to tackle what he called "the defining social mobility challenge of our generation."
A government spokesperson responded, highlighting the scale of the crisis and the appointment of Alan Milburn's review. They stated: "We are bringing forward the biggest employment reforms in a generation and Alan Milburn’s review will ensure every young person is provided an opportunity to make something of their lives."
