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If you are born poor in Britain today you’re more likely than your parents were to stay poor. The country’s richer than it’s ever been but social mobility has stagnated and is at its lowest point for decades. Why? Is it because the working class have lost their ambition, that government policies mean they can survive on state handouts or because the middle class have pulled up the ladder behind them? John Humphrys set out to find the answers to why the politicians’ dream of the ‘classless’ society hasn’t become a reality.
Humphrys’ reports
To find out why it’s harder now to move on and up than it was 30 years ago, John Humphrys has done a series of reports looking at the different issues affecting social mobility.
You can listen to his reports and read more about the people he met in Middlesbrough and south Wales or listen again to John's report from London and Brighton.
You can also listen to John's interviews and discussions. Hear our discussion between British entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne and Sarah Harman from the Law Society. Or Journalists Simon Jenkins and Jeff Randall. Listen to Education Secretary, Alan Johnson and David Davis, Shadow Home Secretary debate the issue. Or listen again to Conservative Leader David Cameron.
Where do you fit in?
Find out where you fit into the social scale by clicking here and take part in our social mobility survey.
Social Grade:
A Upper Middle Class:
Higher managerial, administrative or professional
BMiddle Class:
Intermediate managerial, administrative or professional
C1Lower Middle Class:
Supervisory or clerical and junior managerial, administrative or professional
C2Skilled Working Class:
Skilled manual workers
DWorking Class:
Semi and unskilled manual workers
EThose at the lowest levels of subsistence:
State pensioners or widows (no other earner), casual or lowest grade workers.
Source: National Readership Survey
New research
The LSE in conjunction with the Sutton Trust have brought out new research on the current state of social mobility in Britain. Click here for more information.
You can also see previous research from the Sutton Trust which looks at how Britain fares in an international league of social mobility
 Back to Reports Homepage
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