Government announces new commissioner and interim chair to the Social Mobility Commission
Baroness Alison Garnham appointed as Commissioner and Interim Chair of the Social Mobility Commission (SMC) and external advisor to the new Class Unit.
- Baroness Alison Garnham appointed as Commissioner to the Social Mobility Commission (SMC)
- Baroness Garnham will also serve as Interim Chair while a new chair is selected
- The government’s new Class Unit will have a renewed focus on reducing class inequalities and stamping out child poverty
The Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, has announced Baroness Alison Garnham as the new commissioner and interim chair to the SMC.
Last month, the Minister for Women and Equalities announced a drive to improve the life chances of working class people, reduce inequalities faced by lower-income families and open up opportunities through the creation of a Class Unit.
Baroness Garnham will ensure SMC is fulfilling its legal duty until its closure and use her lifetime of expertise as an external advisor to the Class Unit.
The new unit will bring tackling the causes of deprivation to the forefront of the government agenda, sitting alongside other equality units on race, women, LGBT+ and disability.
Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson said:
Tackling the deep rooted inequalities faced by working class families is crucial. From education to health care, your background should not dictate your opportunities.
Our Class Unit will ensure the Commission’s purpose continues right at the heart of government, with ministers rightly accountable for driving action and delivering real change to people’s lives.
I want to thank Alun Francis for his commitment to this agenda over the past 5 years, and look forward to working with Alison with her wealth of experience and expertise, as the SMC goes through this transitional period.
Alison Garnham is currently the Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and a life peer in the House of Lords. She previously served as CEO of the Daycare Trust and the Director of Policy at One Parent Families (now Gingerbread).
The current chair, Alun Francis, ended his term on 31 October 2026. The government is grateful for the work he and the board of commissioners have completed.
Notes to editors
Once the government announces the preferred candidate for the permanent role of chair, the candidate will be subject to a pre-appointment hearing from the Women and Equalities Committee.
Alison Garnham was announced as a Labour life peer in the House of Lords in 2026, an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and spent 9 years on the Social Security Advisory Committee.
The Social Mobility Commission is an independent non-departmental public body. It is sponsored by the OEO in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Read more about the closure of the Social Mobility Commission.