Question
The Secretary of State recently announced the closure of the independent Social Mobility Commission and its replacement with a Government-run class unit. The commission existed to pose independent challenges to Ministers, whereas the new unit will report to Ministers. Many will conclude that abolishing an independent commission and replacing it with an internal Government body amounts to weakening scrutiny, at precisely the moment when the Government claim to be serious about tackling inequality and child poverty. How can we have confidence in the Government’s assessment of their own performance when the independent body established to provide that assessment has been abolished?
Answer
We have been squeamish about class for too long as a country, and we need to tackle the deep inequalities that hold back too many people. I do not believe that that should be outsourced. It should be central to the work of every single Government Department, which is why I have decided to establish a new class unit in Government that will focus on everything that holds people back in our country. The difference between our party and that of the hon. Lady is that we are serious about tackling child poverty, and during this Parliament we will lift more children out of poverty than any other Parliament on record.14% point-scoring 29% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (42/100)
The question asked how the Government's own assessments would be made credible once the external Commission is abolished. The reply partly answers this by naming a new unit inside Government and saying the work should not be outsourced. It does not explain how the Government's self-assessment would be independently checked, scrutinised or published, and the child poverty commitment it mentions is a pledge rather than a safeguard on credibility. A questioner would likely need to ask again about independent oversight.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What assurance can the Government give that its assessment of its own performance on social mobility, inequality and child poverty will be credible now that the Social Mobility Commission has been abolished? | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply names a concrete replacement mechanism, a new class unit inside Government, and states that this work should not be outsourced, which speaks to the abolition of the external Commission. However, it never explains how the Government's self-assessment will be made credible, such as through independent scrutiny, published metrics, or reporting, so the core question about credibility is only partly answered. The child poverty commitment (seq 7) is a pledge rather than an assurance about assessment credibility. |