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The Independent View: Slashing early years spending contradicts the desire to improve social mobility

By Chris Paterson | Thu 3rd November 2011 - 1:45 pm

In its Social Mobility strategy launched last April, the government made clear the dual priorities shaping its agenda:

“Tackling the financial deficit is the Coalition’s most immediate task. But tackling the opportunity deficit – creating an open, socially mobile society – is our guiding purpose.”

These are strong words indeed, marking an unequivocal commitment to improving the life chances of children from disadvantaged backgrounds. At a very minimum, they indicate a clear intention to manage the necessary public spending cuts in a way that recognises this laudable goal.

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Posted in The Independent View | Also tagged , , , , and | 4 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Rif Winfield
    Putting aside all the financial discussions regarding income and wealth redistribution, and the sheer cost of building those 1,500,000 new homes, which issues a...
  • nigel hunter
    I would not be surprised if the 'NEETS' are steered into the construction industries.There are many jobs in the field from labourer to architect. The social sti...
  • Peter Davies
    Dilnot did not propose a tax but a subsidy. That's how he convinced so many people that such an amazingly unfair proposal was acceptable....
  • Ruth Bright
    Agreed - I think people support it because it's there....
  • Tristan Ward
    @Peter Martin and Jana I think I’m with Jana on this one. The real test of a satisfactory level of income/resources should surely be an amount, taking tax...