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As the struggling Tories convenes in its conference city for its yearly gathering, it has a lot to reflect on regarding its path forward. There is uncertainty if a viable path remains open. These are difficult days for a governing group that now has almost nothing, if anything, new or unique to say to the public.

What Could Have Been

Things could have turned out markedly improved if real advances had been made on an policy focus that is important for people nationwide: Equal opportunity. But the previous administration hadn’t got the first clue on how to convert the trendy talk on social mobility into concrete action. Over twenty-four months after the 2019 election, it discussed what the term actually signified.

It seemed strange to me, because I had clearly defined for the Prime Minister what social mobility entailed when we first spoke about it during his leadership campaign. The phrase was a term I developed and used at the Department for Education to talk about life chances. It was our departmental mantra, and its purpose is clear: social mobility is the means by which we achieve equal access – without removing prospects away from those who are already advantaged, but rather by providing opportunities to those that lack them.

Fundamental Idea

An additional vital ministry expression we used, “ability is distributed uniformly throughout the nation, but opportunity is not”, represented another a intentional wording, reflecting the two parts of a fairness agenda. Initially, ability distributed uniformly but not cultivated evenly through our schools and colleges. Additionally, opportunities not spread evenly by the private sector or our market. As a result, schools and companies were crucial to achieving stronger social mobility. This represented an mission about the community framework of our country – investing in individual capabilities and connecting them to prospects.

The Actual Outcome

What did levelling up become under the previous government? Regional development money overseen from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Decorative floral displays and reconfigured roundabouts and roads. A government strategy was published almost thirty-six months after the Prime Minister took office, which saw existing policy approaches repackaged under the recently branded agenda.

Consequently, a broader social mobility agenda went unpursued, as well as all the change that it could have inspired – in capital, commerce, fiscal strategy, tax and in community development. And, of course, in schooling, including a tertiary education that has become a scapegoat for elected officials – although it remains the strongest driver of social mobility for youth from modest backgrounds, including myself, this country has had in recent decades. Perhaps the sole mechanism of equal opportunity, functioning widely.

Why Hope Matters

Hope is vital for our country to thrive. For hope to exist, there needs to be a believable feeling that hard work and results are linked; that if people aspire, they can achieve. For all administrations, being able to foster a outlook of positivity about the years ahead is crucial. Analysis by the research body at the academic establishment and others, published last month, showed that the DfE’s 12 “opportunity areas” I established during my tenure – locally targeted strategies to boosting academic achievement – led to young people in those communities being up to a significant margin more positive about their life ahead than those in similar areas without these initiatives in place. The research confirms: just making an authentic start on pro-social mobility policy can rapidly and effectively change how people view their destiny.

Squandered Chances

Ignoring this evidence, and in the middle of its post-Johnson leadership contest, in that period, the Conservative government terminated the programmes. Why would anyone in those communities vote for a party that took that action? The targeted programme is one example of what had the potential to be a revolutionary administration strategy on levelling up, but that possibility was totally misused. Approaches such as this can inspire hope and aspiration. In contrast, as the Conservatives found out, breaking the promise of equal opportunity is the biggest blunder any political party can make. The electorate penalized the government for its incompetence but, primarily, for its unfulfilled commitments on levelling up.

Today’s Political Reality

Now the mandate on equal opportunity and equality of opportunity has been taken up by a opposition party. The old slogan has been abandoned. Labour has its own policy language of “breaking down the barriers to opportunity”. The party that is gradually replacing the hapless incumbents, the challenger, also has its own language – “reindustrialisation”. The terminology to talk about fresh prospects in areas like the one I come from, in the region. It promises that an historical manufacturing base can revive into an modern manufacturing sector.

For voters, it must appear as a déjà vu experience. Similar challenge, different language. But – as yet – no results.

Lessons for the Future

Should the current and alternative parties want to escape the similar destiny, both these parties should understand the Conservatives’ failure on levelling up; that social mobility rhetoric is simple terminology, but successful delivery of improved opportunities is significantly more difficult. Britain’s persistently low social mobility remains the primary challenge for our country, with the next generation unable to get a good job beginning, those putting in effort in employment with little to show after the rent has been paid, and people across the country without any genuine belief their offspring will be able to do any better in life than they have.

Politicians can discuss fairer opportunities however much they like. However, which party has the party that has the comprehensive policy agenda on life chances? None appear to exist. Whoever gets there first, succeeds. Not only for their party, but, significantly, for a complete society that has never needed fair chances so urgently.