A study by the London School of Economics has found that social mobility has fallen over the past 40 years, the main cause being the expansion of higher education.

While more people are gaining degrees, those from poorer backgrounds gain less than those who are richer to begin with.

Forum Response: Association of University Teachers

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the Association of University Teachers, told ePolitix.com: "The findings of this study dramatically show how important it is to widen access to higher education. It is hardly news that a university degree boosts your lifetime earnings.

"Indeed that is why so many of us believe that the opportunity to enter higher education has to be made available to all young people and not just the children of the well-off.

"If we want to increase social mobility in this country, we have to look first at the education system. Within that, universities and colleges have a crucial role to play in opening up the lifetime opportunities to everyone, irrespective of their class, race or cultural background.

"All of us in the higher education world have to ensure that the government's proposed expansion of student numbers really does open up university access. The sector will have failed if all that is achieved is an increase in the number of middle class children going on to university."