Labour leader will argue against snobbery of ‘vocational’ and ‘academic’ education, saying young people need both
Britain needs to shatter its snobbish “class ceiling” that prevents children from getting ahead, Keir Starmer is to argue in a speech setting out his fifth and final “mission” aimed at removing barriers to opportunity.
Speaking at a college in Gillingham, Kent, the Labour leader will argue that students must be taught creativity and the “human” skills that cannot be done by computers, advocating a shift in focus for the artificial intelligence age.
Highest sustained growth in the G7. The first mission to be announced, this is the most specific of the five and arguably the most risky, given it depends on events in other countries. In a rare moment of agreement with Liz Truss, Starmer said economic growth targets were useful, while insisting Labour’s plan would be based on a stable mix of free markets and the state.
Cutting crime. A perennial pledge for any opposition party, this is seen as particularly relevant given a perception of police absence and court delays. Starmer pledged to halve violence against women and girls within a decade, using measures including dedicated “rape courts” and domestic violence experts taking 999 calls.
Restoring the NHS. Another obvious subject for the roster, Starmer said Labour would increase real-terms spending on NHS England, although he dodged questions on how this would be done. Other priorities included a focus on better preventive health.
Making the UK a clean energy superpower. Very firmly building on the work of Ed Miliband, this mission is a restatement of intent after the party rowed back on its promise to invest £28bn in a green industrial strategy. Starmer said he would “throw everything” at net zero and create jobs for a low-carbon future.
Improving social opportunity. The last mission to be launched, this covers everything from a revised school curriculum aimed at boosting creativity and “human” skills in the AI age, to bringing child poverty reduction experts into schools. Starmer has promised it will tackle the “class ceiling” in which children are pigeonholed according to background.
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