Interestingly, Willetts' argument is based on a premise associated more with the left than the right-that there's a finite amount of work to be done.
Work almost inevitably creates work for other people-someone works in a bank, or a factory, or a school, and their wages and consequent ability to create a market demand support work for other people.

Briar, I don't get why you think aspiration is a bad thing. I think it's almost inevitably good, individually and collectively.

Which reality? The reality of statistics? A statistical objective reality I dare say, gathered by who? The objective mind of 'science'? Iceland, Finland and Norway are all better places to live too of course. Oh and which feminism are we speaking about here? So quick to make assumptions and deconstruct one thing, and not another... This article is as stupid as his statement

Was that an answer?

And that's supposed to mean something, is it Nick?

"The high standing of Scandinavian women hasn't come at the expense of equality in those societies" You must be joking right? I do reside in sweden, it can be a crime to ask someone in a pub for intercourse, the breaking of a condom can lead to rape charges, nine out of every 10 custody battles is given to the mother. Feminism the way it is practiced and promoted is not equalism. "feminism trumped egalitarianism" is something you should ask x male feminists about in sweden, maybe a father organisation, or maybe a male shelter, ops wait there is no male shelters only women shelters, there is no crime except the crime that men afflict on women, oh and lets not mention any female pedofiles, even though sweden just caught 20 of em. It is far from equal here.

A question of correlation and causation. Socially unprovable and therefore very usable.

Is it not more sensible to admit that we are a long way off understanding the forces behind social mobility. But accept that both it and decreasing gender inequality are admirable aims. Neither inextricably linked (to use a rather painful expression) nor by any means independent from each other.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the Netherlands has the highest number of...shit, I can't think of the right terminology....OK, stay at home mothers in Europe. Is this true?

Have to say, though, I think Willetts is floundering here.

Nice post George

This:

"All of the available data on the subject shows that the countries with the highest levels of social mobility are those with the highest levels of gender equality"

Has nothing to to do with the dynamic change in work equality. Generally, a more egalitarian society will have both greater social mobility and greater gender equality, but a society that is becoming more equal does not have to do so evenly.

Willetts' point can be summarized as: "more middle class people became educated and employed, lowering the opportunity for working class people"

The fact that the majority of the increase in middle class education and employment happens to be made up of women is merely a statement of fact. And arguing with facts is pointless.

Rather than get bogged down with the feminism vs. social mobility argument, any worthwhile leftist commentator would do better to look at the reasons _why_ middle class women were more able to take advantage of education than women & men from the working classes, and why this continued under the last 3 terms of government.

Neoliberalism trumped egalitarianism. The free (labour) market. Once it became the dogma that aspiration must be encouraged and rewarded, any hope of removing the various gaps infesting society was set back by decades.

Naturally this answer is anathema to all our political parties, but especially the Conservative and Lib Dem parties. So expect lots of similar smoke and mirrors attempting to hide the truth.