Inequality has been debated in British politics for decades, often with a reluctance to address class issues. Bridget Phillipson, the minister for women and equalities, thinks this needs to change. Announcing the government’s new class unit, she argued that Britain has been “squeamish about class for too long”.
Class has, of course, never disappeared from the policy agenda. But in recent decades it has largely been addressed through the language of social mobility: how do we help talented people from disadvantaged backgrounds climb the ladder?
