Liz Kendall will today set out how Britain’s system of employment support must be fundamentally reformed to tackle the “most urgent challenge” of spiralling economic inactivity
At the launch of the “Pathways into Employment” report in Barnsley Ms Kendall will lay the path for a new Government white paper to get Britain working. This is central to delivering the Government’s first mission – to kickstart economic growth; making everyone, not just a few, better off.
She will set out the dire inheritance from the last 14 years including:
Ms Kendall will argue:
She will call time on the approach of the previous government and instead seek “employment opportunity unleashed for all” as part of the government’s long-term ambition to reach 80 per cent employment, with better quality of work, and higher earnings.
The Secretary of State will set out bold plans to tackle economic activity by enabling local leaders to tailor schemes to get people back into work – and to prioritise good, rewarding, well paid work. She will say:
Setting out her vision for reform, the Work and Pensions Secretary is also expected to say:
As part of her drive to tackle economic inactivity, the Secretary of State will also announce a new group of external experts who will provide labour market insight and advice to drive change throughout the system.
The Labour Market Advisory Board, which will be chaired by Paul Gregg - Former Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Policy at the University of Bath - is expected to meet quarterly and will provide advice to the Work and Pensions Secretary and offer insight, expertise, and challenge to the department’s plans.
The speech follows the announcement by the Work and Pensions Secretary, that the Government will, as part of the Growth Mission, publish a White Paper which will build on manifesto commitments of a three-pillared approach to support people into work:
It forms part of a cross-government approach to help people into work, including the launch of Skills England, and cutting NHS waiting lists to build the healthy society needed for a healthy economy.