Bridget Phillipson, the Minister for Women and Equalities, has led the first roundtable of the government's new Class Unit, setting out its first priorities for improving access to public services for working-class communities.

Experts, community leaders and people with lived experience took part, discussing how to reduce the barriers facing working-class people. Its early priorities include fairer outcomes in public services, better access to good jobs and stronger life chances.

Maternal health, safety and young people

The group discussed unequal results in maternal health, community safety and opportunities for young people. It also looked at gaps in education and access to work, class-based stigma in workplaces, and financial security.

Another priority is tackling child poverty and disadvantage passed between generations, and deprivation linked to where people live.

Phillipson said "class stigma, stereotypes and disadvantages" affect people in classrooms, careers and healthcare. She said the government had taken steps to tackle child poverty and improve fairness, but more work remained.

After the meeting, Phillipson spoke with young people from Mission 44, the charitable foundation set up by Sir Lewis Hamilton. They discussed practical changes to help young people move from education into work.

Socio-economic duty to follow

The Class Unit will also lead work to begin the socio-economic duty, a proposed legal requirement that would ask public bodies to consider how their decisions about public services could improve life for lower-income families.

Those involved include Professor Lindsey Macmillan of University College London, Professor Fiona Devine of the University of Manchester, and Millie Light of the Changing Realities project.

The unit was announced in September as part of a shake-up of the equalities agenda. It sits alongside similar units covering race, gender, LGBT+ and disability, and its creation led to the closure of the Social Mobility Commission.