Starmer explains Labour's core purpose to remove barriers to opportunity across the UK

Speaking at Mid Kent College in Gillingham, the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has explained the mission of the Labour Party to remove "barriers to opportunity at every stage" of education across Britain. Starmer's speech followed recent announcements in previous months explaining Labour's approach to energy policy and the NHS.

Starmer promised to "tear down the barriers to opportunity that hold this country and its people back". Crucially, this mission constitutes Labour's "core purpose" and Starmer's "personal cause".

Because of the current cost of living crisis, "there is more than a touch of the 1970s about our economic situation right now", the Labour leader explained at the start of his speech after referring to his upbringing and childhood background in southern England.

Starmer described the idea that hard work should be rewarded irrespective of personal background as a "British value", something "we still tell our children". The Labour leader explained how families like his were motivated by the idea that "enterprise, hard work and imagination would be rewarded in Britain – even in tough times", and that these virtues would ensure "that things would get better for families like ours".

Moreover, this means that if you "work hard and you can achieve anything" the Labour leader explained, stating: "Work hard and you will get a fair chance in Britain."

Does a fair chance constitute an equal chance? Interestingly, Starmer did not use the phrase "equality of opportunity" in his speech. However, he did clearly articulate Labour's opposition to the idea that "background equals destiny". In other words, "who you are, where you come from, who you know" matters more for your life chances "than your talent, your effort and your enterprise".

Starmer also referred to the idea that "Britain will be better for you or your children". This is clearly distinct from the idea that we should all get a fair chance. In other words, it is possible that we all get a fair chance, but that families get poorer over time as the whole economy faces pressures on the cost of living.

According to Starmer, the idea that "Britain will be better for you or your children" is something "we should be able to trust, all of us". This idea is "an unwritten contract, a bond of hope between citizen and country, generation and generation", the Labour leader explained.

For a party and opposition leader seeking to regain trust amongst the electorate, this seems like a risky claim to make. Given the interconnected nature of the global economy, many of the factors which define the wealth of future generations are out of the control of the British government. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine are clear examples of unexpected events that have put pressure on the cost of living.

Ensuring nationwide opportunity is also an important part of making Britain competitive in a world of fast-paced technological change. Starmer mentioned artificial intelligence and "technologies that stretch the boundaries of our imagination", explaining that "the race for the future is unforgiving, so we've got to move fast". Therefore, "we must unlock the potential that is in every community, grow the talents of every child". In other words, ensuring that talent across Britain is nurtured in all communities is key to fulfilling Britain's potential as a global centre for innovation.

What are the five barriers to key opportunities?

Starmer used his speech to explain five key barriers which "we must tear down to prepare our children for the future". Crucially, Labour intends to tackle these barriers through reforms to the education system.

Firstly, Starmer referred to "the insecurity" that is currently "destabilising family life". He highlighted the importance of education in the early years of child development and the role of public services such as children's centres.

Crucially, Starmer explained that we start the process of rebuilding services with a new target: "To boost child development with half a million more children hitting their early learning targets by 2030."

The first steps Labour intend to take towards this goal include increasing the numbers of "health visitors in the community", ensuring "mental health access for new parents", increasing the capacity of the childcare system in tandem with local authorities, increasing the standards of early education, and putting an end to the closure of nurseries.

Starmer then moved on to talk about confidence among you people as the second barrier. For example, he mentioned the "inability to speak fluently" as a barrier to opportunity. Moreover, improving the "oracy" of young people must be seen as a key objective within the education system. Oracy, the ability to speak, is not just a "skill for learning", Starmer clarified, but "a skill life". The ability to speak confidently enables you to "make your case in any environment", he further explained.

Therefore, a Labour government will direct funding into "every primary school" to allow investment into "world-class early language interventions" that help children "find their voice." This investment will be funded through the removal of private school tax breaks, Starmer explained.

The third barrier to opportunity in Britain Labour will address is "an outdated curriculum". According to Starmer, Britain needs to "catch up" with the other nations around the world that "are rethinking their curricula" with an emphasis on "greater creativity". For example, the Labour leader mentioned the examples of Estonia and Singapore.

Firstly, Labour will "update the 'progress eight' performance measure," Starmer explained. Created to encourage schools to educate students using a balanced curriculum at KS4, the measure is based on the performance of students across eight subjects. Crucially, Labour intends to use the measure "to get children studying a creative arts subject, or sport, until they are 16." Furthermore, Labour will integrate oracy and digital skills into the national curriculum.

On the issue of digital skills, Starmer explained that "learning out-of-date IT, on 20-year-old computers" is ineffective. However, the idea that "every kid should be a coder" is also ineffective because of the future role of artificial intelligence.

Ultimately, Starmer argued: "To prepare our children for their future, we've got to use every opportunity, in every classroom, to nurture digital skills."

The fourth barrier mentioned by Starmer is Britain's "attitude towards vocational education." Addressing this issue has to be "a shared undertaking" amongst the whole of society, "not just businesses, colleges and parents" Starmer explained.

The Labour leader advocated the need for "a proper national skills plan" to be "led by a new body, Skills England". Labour announced its intention to create Skills England in September last year. If created, Skills England will be tasked with overseeing measures to ensure that Britain meets the demands for skills across all regions in future decades.

Finally, Starmer spoke of "the soft bigotry of low expectations" as the fifth barrier to opportunity in Britain.

The Labour leader acknowledged that this point was previously articulated by Michael Gove, who is currently Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Starmer crucially explained: "When he said that – it was an important strike against the glass ceiling."

However, in Starmer's view, given the government's lack of interest in increasing the standards of Britain's schools, "the Tories simply don't care anymore".

To address school standards, Labour will "tackle the retention crisis by rewarding great new teachers who commit to a career in the classroom". Ofsted will also be reformed to better meet the needs of children and parents. Furthermore, "safeguarding reviews should happen every year", Starmer explained, in order to ensure parents are aware of how their children are being treated.