An ambitious expansion of Opportunity Areas in left behind communities as well as investment in universities and the green economy, should be cornerstones of the Government's plan to level up Britain, Justine Greening has said.

Education matters – it certainly did to me.

It’s now time for a more sophisticated and holistic debate about how Government can shift the dial in a systematic way for the long-term.

In her first major interview since stepping down as an MP in December 2019, former Education Secretary Justine Greening tells Naomi Ackerman about life after parliament, education after Covid-19 school closures, and her mission to “level up” London

Hundreds of billions of pounds have been pumped into various measures, ranging from the furlough scheme to cutting VAT. They may be necessary short-term steps but what happens next year when the spending taps are turned off?

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is turning the spending taps on, with more expected on Wednesday. Yet, however big the sums are, they're ultimately drawn from a limited pot of taxpayer money.

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 was the first person in my family to have the chance to go to university and it transformed my life.

Businesses have already been a real force for good during the coronavirus crisis. Now they can play a real leadership role through the coming challenging months ahead as Britain deals with its aftermath. There will be difficult days ahead, that’s inevitable, but how we respond to the challenges is a choice we can make.

A levelled up Britain needs its children getting back to school. Everyone understands that needs to be done safely, but it’s vital that those most disadvantaged by the school shutdown are prioritised first.

We’re so ‘deep’ into lockdown it’s hard to look too far ahead, and the economic outlook also looks bleak. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said this week that the country is in the middle of what is likely to be a significant recession.

Education can be the great levelling force in our society, yet for weeks our schools have been shut because of coronavirus, so the education gaps that already needed to be narrowed are growing wider by the day.

For too many people, where you start in life still shapes the opportunities you get and where you end up. This opportunity deficit overwhelmingly impacts people from more disadvantaged communities and backgrounds and the gaps start opening up from the very start.

Back in 2014 the world faced a struggle with another fatal and highly contagious virus that initially felt out of control – Ebola.

The benefits of social mobility are usually articulated from the individual’s point of view.

They are the ones who, in being able to fulfil their potential unhindered by unfairness, can talk about a personal experience of social mobility and their journey in life.

I had the fantastic opportunity to talk to Prince William and UK business leaders about social mobility this week.

We were all guests of building materials group Tarmac, celebrating the official opening of its impressive new training centre in Nottinghamshire.

Universities have the power to turbo-charge social mobility in the communities they reach.

In fact, given the UK’s dire social mobility record, they have a responsibility to do so.

Weak social mobility is a global crisis, it was declared at Davos this week. While some nations are better than others in fostering social mobility, most are generally poor, the World Economic Forum (WEF) concluded.

Any business not taking its responsibilities to the wider world seriously could be increasingly in trouble in 2020.

For the clock is ticking on corporations that haven’t yet put genuine purpose at the heart of their operations.

2019 has been a big and successful year for the Social Mobility Pledge. With over 400 organisations, covering three million employees and one million students, now signed up to the Pledge, together we are spreading opportunity throughout Britain.