The government is creating a new unit to place class at the centre of its equalities agenda, with a focus on tackling white working-class inequality. Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities, is expected to announce the unit's formation today, Wednesday 9 September 2026.
The unit will operate within the Office for Equality and Opportunity and will examine disparities linked to class and socioeconomic background across all ethnic groups. While improving outcomes for white working-class people will be a key focus, government sources have stated it will not be a dedicated white working-class unit.
This initiative is part of a broader government shakeup of its equalities work, which will see the Social Mobility Commission abolished. The new unit will serve as a centre for government analysis of class and socioeconomic inequalities in public services and outcomes. One of its initial priorities will be the introduction of the socioeconomic duty, which will require public bodies to consider how their decisions might reduce inequalities for lower-income families.
Phillipson is also expected to announce plans to alter how deprivation is measured nationally, including an assessment of how funding is distributed across services such as childcare and health.