LIB DEMS TO SET UP SOCIAL MOBILITY COMMISSION

12.00.00am GMT Mon 7th Jan 2008

Local Euro MP Liz Lynne has strongly welcomed LibDem leader Nick Clegg's setting up of an independent Commission on Social Mobility.

The commission is being established in response to research which suggests the UK has lower social mobility than most western democracies and that it is also decreasing. It will be chaired by Martin Narey, Chief Executive of Barnardo's, and will look into the causes of this and recommend policy changes which would enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds to reach their full potential.

Liz Lynne, who is Vice President of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, recently wrote a landmark report on social protection and social exclusion across the European Union and has long campaigned for more to be done to fight child poverty and social exclusion.

Commenting on the announcement Liz said:

"Despite increasing prosperity, ten years of a Labour Government have done nothing to stop the widening gulf between rich and poor people, whilst evidence shows that the UK is one of the worst in Europe for social mobility.

"The development of this new Commission shows that the Liberal Democrats are helping to lead the way in developing policies that challenge the status quo and reverse this worryingly trend.

"Barriers to opportunity are complex and by no means purely financial. Many of the causes of social exclusion are common to countries across Europe and I look forward to working closely with members of the Commission to help ensure we take advantage of best practice developed in other European countries. Failure to act will mean the continuing exclusion and alienation of millions of people."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Liz Lynne MEP recently authored a key 2007 joint report for the European Parliament on Social Protection, Social Inclusion and Social Reality Stocktaking which, amongst other things called for increased sharing of best practice among EU Member States in the fight against poverty and social exclusion. Please find the report here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A6-2007-0400+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN

The new UK Commission on Social Mobility will be expected to report back to Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg by the end of 2008, and to produce interim findings halfway through the year. The Commission is entirely independent. The Liberal Democrats will consider how to take forward its recommendations as party policy but the Commission?s report and conclusions will also be published and be available to all political parties.