The Social Mobility Commission continues its excellent work. So all are agreed; the chances of success in life should not be dictated by where you are born, or the wealth of your parents. We should all get an ‘equal, start. But for children today, the circumstances of your birth largely determine the rest of your life. Sir Michael Rutter put it simply, if you want to guarantee a good life, choose your parents well.
It is encouraging that politicians of all parties are concerned about social mobility, and they seem to be worried about inequality. So to be clear on definitions, inequality is not about poverty per se, it is about the vast gulf between the richest and the poorest. As countries become more unequal, the social class gradient becomes steeper. Hence the chances of a child born to a low-income family growing up to be a middle-income adult reduce.
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