We believe that everyone in our country, whoever they are and wherever they are from, is entitled to an equal chance in life. This chance starts by not allowing yourself to be constrained by your immediate environment and instead, seizing the opportunities that come your way. 

Meeting like-minded people, debating face-to-face with tutors and pursuing new hobbies are the essence of university life;

For the class of 2020 doing any of the normal student activities has been a real challenge, and with the UK in and out of various forms of lockdown since March, the experience for students this year has been anything but normal.

As a picture begins to emerge of the medium and long-term implications of the pandemic, and the expected global recession, attention is now turning to the socio-economic implications of the pandemic too.

Before COVID-19, Britain was already a nation of inequality of opportunity. Research by the Social Mobility Pledge showed that where a person is born dictates where they end up in life – largely because of the vast opportunity gap.  

I have been extremely fortunate that my choices in life delivered me to where I am and I have travelled from the mining village of Ferryhill to be a Member of Parliament. I explain below a little of the route but the important thing is the use of the opportunity I have been given.

Through my involvement with the Social Mobility Pledge since Shoosmiths became signatories in 2018 (and now the C-19 Pledge), and as a member of the BITC West Midlands Advisory Board, I have become aware of many nuances to successful engagement with communities across the UK.

Since the Prime Minister’s election victory in December, Boris Johnson has promised to “level up” the UK and narrow the regional inequalities that exist throughout the country.

From the Labour leadership race to the Conservatives new northern MPs looking to cement their positions, the race is now on politically to take a lead on levelling up opportunity across the UK.

One of the most pressing issues facing the next generation is poor levels of social mobility. In this blog I want to highlight the challenges we face in boosting social mobility across the country and some potential solutions.

Social mobility, to me, isn’t just an empty phrase, it’s something that has defined my life.

I grew up in Wester Hailes, just south-west of Edinburgh. It's an area that has proud roots in industry, and of course in football - die hard supporters of our beloved Hearts.

We live in a divided country.

But not the type of division that you’re thinking about - the one that seems to be continuously splashed across the headlines, hogging political discourse and dragging on all too long. In fact, I won’t even mention the B-word!

As soon as I walked through the doors of Dundas House I knew this was nothing like what I was used to. A place that always smells like coffee and biscuits, and you can’t walk down a corridor without saying “hello, good morning” more times than feels normal.

We are on the cusp of immense change, and as in any time of change, a window of opportunity arises. The United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, when it happens, will be this window of opportunity.

In the Midlands we have a proud history as pioneers across a range of industries. It was here in the 1800s that our region became the birthplace of the industrial revolution.