Talking the Talk of Social Mobility: The Political Performance of a Misguided Agenda

Since 2010, the language of social mobility has been increasingly utilised by UK politicians from across political spectrum to denote a commitment ‘fair access’ opportunity in both education and professions. Within this policy discourse, default understanding inequality is premised on narrow notion access elite employment positions, where deeper politics reproduction inequality, or any meaningful emphasis redistribution, absent. The agenda axiomatically an equality focus ‘levelling up’ those who are considered be falling behind. Its detriment outcome thus rules out considerations structural solutions inequalities. In article, we unpack discourses that prevalent recent government papers talk, with specific Social Mobility Commission (SMC) order consider how these shape approaches labour market participation. We argue presiding ‘race top’ mentality undermines very claims seeking achieve, doing so implicate SMC purveying contradictory understandings compound conceal existing Through graduate employment, problematise role higher promotion mobility. employers participating Employer Index expose contradictions between performance reality corporate practices entrench Our work underscores need for new conversation about redirection attendant dismantling rather than reinforcing hierarchies.