Starmer lacks coherent' social mobility plan, says advisory body chair

"Keir Starmer has no coherent strategy to tackle entrenched inequalities harming the life chances of millions of people, the government's social mobility commissioner has said. A major official report warned last week that young adults in Britain's former industrial heartlands were being left behind as a result of failed or abandoned promises by successive governments. The Social Mobility Commission (SMC), a government advisory body, said big cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol were starting to thrive. In a Guardian interview, the commission's chair, Alun Francis, urged Starmer to outline a bold vision to tackle the defining social mobility challenge of our generation."

"He said: We have a government that talks quite a lot about social mobility, but mainly about individuals often about [the] social mobility of themselves or their colleagues But what we don't have is a coherent approach to social mobility as a useful concept that you can build a strategy around. Francis's warning comes at a moment of mounting pressure on the government over its approach to social mobility after last week's SMC report described poorer childhood conditions, fewer job opportunities and a lack of growth in former industrial communities, and as new figures showed the sharpest rise in youth unemployment for three years. With almost 1 million young people now outside education, work or training, critics say the government has failed to articulate a plan to brighten their prospects before the next election."

An official Social Mobility Commission report found young adults in former industrial heartlands are being left behind due to failed or abandoned promises by successive governments. Big cities such as Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol are starting to thrive, but opportunities are over-concentrated. The commission's chair warned the government talks about social mobility mainly at an individual level and lacks a coherent, strategizable approach. New figures showed the sharpest rise in youth unemployment for three years, and almost 1 million young people are now outside education, work or training. The commission praised devolution and housing policies but called welfare reform stop-start and urged an overarching narrative to unite policies.

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