TUC: To increase social mobility, we first need greater income equality

Submitted by Kathryn Busby on 17 August 2010

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has today published a new report which finds that when it comes to social mobility the UK has an appalling record, with a suggested 50% of a child's future earning potential determined at birth in the UK, compared with just 20% in Canada, Australia, Denmark, Norway and Finland.

This report is published in the same week as the anticipated appointment of former Labour health secretary Alan Milburn, who will lead a taskforce aimed at improving social mobility.

But as the TUC point out, real improvements in social mobility will not be possible until we reduce income inequality - and the coalition government's planned cuts look set to have the opposite effect.

The evidence shows that social mobility is greatest in societies with low levels of income inequality. For everyone to have an equal chance of success there needs to be a much smaller gap between rich and poor in the first place. Cuts in public services and social security are almost certainly going to produce reduced levels of social mobility and increased inequality.

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary