Baroness Alison Garnham has been appointed commissioner and interim chair of the Social Mobility Commission, the government announced on 2 November 2026. She will also serve as an external advisor to the new Class Unit, which the Minister for Women and Equalities, Bridget Phillipson, said will focus on reducing class inequalities and tackling child poverty.

The announcement follows last month's plan to create the Class Unit to improve life chances for working-class people and lower-income families. Garnham, currently chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group and a life peer, will ensure the commission meets its legal duty until it closes, according to the release. She previously led the Daycare Trust and was director of policy at One Parent Families, now Gingerbread.

The outgoing chair, Alun Francis, ended his term on 31 October 2026, and the government thanked him and the board for their work over the past five years. Once a preferred candidate for the permanent chair is announced, that person will face a pre-appointment hearing by the Women and Equalities Committee, the release said.