The People’s March took place on Saturday (Picture: NIKLAS HALLE’N / AFP)

Britain today seems to be entirely consumed by discussions on Brexit. Maybe it’s not a surprise given that we’re less than six months from leaving the EU.

After two years of doublespeak, and meaningless rhetoric, it’s clear that the prime minister’s half in, half out deal is the worst of all worlds for Britain and our departure from the EU is turning into a complete mess.

And frankly, I’m frustrated at the way Brexit is virtually monopolising the political debate. I’ve described it as BFS (Brexit Fatigue Syndrome). I didn’t go into politics to only talk about the EU.



There are other huge issues we face as a country. There are other massive challenges people face in their day to day lives. Getting a great education, decent homes, decent jobs and careers for a start.


In other words, being able to get on in life, which I call social mobility. I want our politicians to be focused on the radical change needed to improve these things too.

We’ve seen protests about lots of things over the decades – women’s rights, the poll tax, the Iraq war – and this past weekend it was the People’s Vote, rightly campaigning for a second referendum. I want to see people given a final say on Brexit too.

But no one can possibly justify how totally random factors – background or geography – so utterly shapes the chances someone gets in their life in this country. Not their ability. Not their willingness to work hard.

Having equality of opportunity – where’s the protest for that?

Maybe it’s because we can see poor BAME diversity, and we can see gender inequality. But how can you tell, just by looking, that only one person sitting at a board table was educated in a state school?

Maybe there aren’t any protests because of the old adage ‘you don’t miss what you’ve never had’.

It’s time our politicians spent real time and effort on working out how we guarantee giving fairer access to better opportunities for more people. If they did, then we might get somewhere.

If you’ve never seen what better opportunity looks like for others, if your parents haven’t either, how are you supposed to know that you should be expecting so much more for yourself in life?

You’re probably reading this on your way to work.

Is it a job that really makes the most of your talent? Is it with an employer who has an interest in developing you for the next role? Have they ever invested in upgrading your skills? Do you think how far you’ll get in your organisation is more about who you know than what you know?

You might feel OK about the answers to those questions, in which case – great. But if you don’t, then I don’t think you should have to just accept it. If you can do better, you should be able to.

Parliament needs to set about creating that version of Britain, because it’s not the Britain we live in right now.



What happens on Brexit is hugely important, but it’s not really going to change the answers to the questions above. There’s a bigger picture out there about your life, your opportunities and how this country can radically change to help you.

It’s time our politicians spent real time and effort on working out how we guarantee giving fairer access to better opportunities for more people. If they did, then we might get somewhere.

Last week I was at Nottingham Trent University, hearing from talented students who were building their future. No one mentioned Brexit at all.

We discussed their courses, their experiences, what careers they were interested in, and how we were working together with the university to open up more opportunities. It’s a million miles away from a Brexit-dominated Westminster, but it matters just as much.

There might not have been a protest march for social mobility, but I am going to keep banging on about this until things change.

And I am going to keep being an MP who gets out of parliament and goes around our country, finding out what people actually think will make a difference. I will keep on knocking on the doors of businesses, large and small, to urge them to join me in changing their culture and behaviour to be part of the solution.

When you get to wherever you’re working today, ask your boss if they’ll get your company to commit to the Social Mobility Pledge. Businesses doing that will help.


There’s a lot to sort out, but people can change things. You could be one of them.

And in the meantime, politicians must step up to the plate. This moment has to be a catalyst for change. Whatever party MPs are in, we’ve all got to make sure we deliver on that.

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