Social Inequality In Britain

1188 Words5 Pages
For many years, it was normal that each generation was better off than the preceding one. However, this is no longer the case. Inequality in Britain has been growing, and more people than ever are now unable to climb the social and economic ladder. The social mobility in Britain is degrading. For the first time post the war era, the next generation will not be better off than the preceding one. But how serious is the problem? What are the reasons behind it? And how are we supposed to fix the issue? Luckily, the Social Mobility Commission has released a report, which can help us understand the problem and the reasons behind it. For instance, one of the problems, highlighted by the report, is regional differences. Alan Milburn, who chairs the…show more content…
Poppy Noor is one of the 0.1% of less fortune school leavers who progressed to Oxbridge. However, she is far from happy with the social inequality in Britain. She expresses how her “background still remains the biggest barrier to earning a decent living.”, as she is forced to work during dark hours before having to leave for her waitressing job, which pays just above the minimum wage. She also lives with her boyfriend and must sublet her own room to make up the money for the rent. Her economic status is a daily issue. She has had to ask her friends three times this month to pay for her Oyster card, and still cannot afford the train. However, she says that even though she works hard, she is still very limited by her social and economic status. Most internships are unpaid and based in London, which is very expensive to live in. Hence, she cannot afford to take an internship. Furthermore, she is very limited regarding her choice of career. Higher class careers expect high class people, as they expect a certain status and dress code. As she cannot afford expensive clothes, she cannot work in higher class environments, even though she is bright enough to attend the Oxbridge…show more content…
The new generation is not better off than the preceding, as they were expected to be. However, they are very affected by social inequality and their social status. Many of them are unable to climb the social and economic ladder because of this. Families are unable to get into a higher social class, even if they work hard. And their children are way less likely to achieve good grades or go to university. Furthermore, their career options are very limited by their economic status, meaning many are stuck in low paying jobs, even though they are some of the brightest, like Poppy Noor. To make it even worse, the crisis is also affected by regional disadvantages. However, the report from the Social Mobility Commission has suggested a 10-year program to reduce the problems, and Theresa May has said that she will focus on fixing the social mobility crisis. Based on the commission’s report, the social mobility crisis could be fixable if the government is willing to take some measures and make reforms. For example, the commission suggests building 3 million houses to even out the unaffordable housing market, and ban unpaid internships so people like Poppy Noor could afford to take an internship. The report also suggests preventive measures and ways to help people get an education, which hopefully will help even out the regional disadvantages, thus eliminating the postcode
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