The public has become yet more pessimistic about social mobility in the UK, with three-quarters believing the recession will hit their ability to increase their social status, according to the Sutton Trust. The survey of more than 2,000 adults found that just 38 per cent of respondents now think that people have equal opportunities to get ahead, compared with 53 per cent a year ago. Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “Most people see this country as a land in which wealth and background are more important in determining opportunities in life than talent and hard work.”