The Sunday Take: Boosting opportunity isn’t just about education

By Matthew McPherson, Director of Policy and Public Affairs

This week, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer set out details of the party’s fifth, and final ‘Mission’ for government - Opportunity. Starmer said the Mission is his ‘core purpose, and personal cause - to fight the pernicious idea for every child that background equals destiny. That your background and who you know might shape your life more than your talent, your effort and your enterprise.’ 

That Mission very much aligns with our work at the Purpose Coalition. Breaking down barriers to opportunity is at the heart of all we do. Working with businesses, universities, and the wider public sector, we’ve helped move the dial and create new jobs and apprenticeship opportunities for those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. To take just one example, Travelodge is mentoring employees to progress to success in their careers through its ASPIRE programme. 

In a speech in true-blue Gillingham, Starmer was introduced by Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and set out plans for education and opportunity, with a particular focus on the early years, and raising standards in schools. A pledge to introduce speaking lessons in schools caught the national media attention. It’s a good point. As Starmer said himself, an ability to articulate your thoughts fluently is a key class barrier to getting on and thriving in life. 

Smashing that ‘class ceiling’ is a generational challenge, and politicians of all political parties - from John Major to Gordon Brown - have talked about it with passion over decades. It was something Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel on The News Agents Podcast talked about with passion this week, and put into perspective some of the challenges people face on a day to day basis when it comes to smashing that class ceiling, from being able to hold your own in a debate, to speaking in front of an audience. 

However, boosting opportunity can’t be limited to education - it’s far broader than that, and it needs the central decision makers of government, Downing Street and the Treasury, to be laser focused on it too. It affects everything from people having a good job, a home they can afford, safe streets, and much more. Starmer touched on this, but he needs to do far more to put meat on the bones, and show how his ‘Opportunity Mission’ spreads to all aspects of government. 

Take housing. Britain has some of the most beautiful rural and coastline landscapes in the world - and it’s no wonder people flock to Devon, Cornwall and dozens of other retreats every single year for their annual holiday.

Whilst tourism provides a significant economic boost for local economies, and provides jobs, many local people, who provide the backbone of those local economies, such as cleaners, healthcare workers, or those working in local shops and restaurants, can find themselves locked out of the housing market. That has an enormous impact on opportunity, and social mobility too. 

It’s an issue the Purpose Coalition is taking seriously through our Rural Opportunities work, which links closely to Purpose Goals 11 and 12. And across the Purpose Coalition, there are great examples of organisations that are taking these issues seriously. Cllr. Julian Brazil, the new Leader of South Hams District Council has hit the nail on the head when it comes to identifying local housing as a key priority, and the knock-on effect a lack of it has on local people has on businesses, schools and hospitals because key workers are unable to afford a decent place to live. 

Without local housing for key workers, local economies could collapse, with organisations unable to recruit the staff they need to run a functioning public service or business. It’s already a particular challenge for the NHS, and an issue the Purpose Health Coalition is aiming to help tackle through the new ‘NHS: be at the heart of it’ campaign to encourage more people to join their local NHS, and stay working there to help tackle record waiting lists, and make our country healthier.

When it comes to jobs and opportunities, we see different, but not dissimilar issues. Too many young people feel they have to move to the economic centers of major cities to get on in life. A recent poll found that nearly a third of 18-30 year olds don’t feel they can reach their desired goals by remaining in the city they call home, with just over a quarter wanting to move away to find their ‘purpose’ in life. 

It’s a big problem, and any government wanting to fix these issues needs the economic might of the Treasury not only focused on creating jobs in towns outside of major cities, but also in encouraging others to do so too. This is particularly important for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Labour recognised this in their plan too, with a proposal to push decisions on skills spending outside of Westminster, allowing local communities to be able to join up training and job opportunities. 

Nothing happens in government without the backing of the Treasury - so if boosting opportunity is Starmer’s mission, he needs to put more meat on the bones of how he’ll make that happen, with government, business and the wider public sector working together to deliver practical and real change for communities across the country.