Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer set out Labour’s final “national mission” in the party’s five priorities during a speech in Gillingham on Thursday (6 July).
The Labour leader has pledged to smash the “class ceiling” with plans to reform the education system if his party wins the next UK general election.
Sir Keir has set a goal of half a million more children reaching their early learning targets by 2030 in the party’s mission to improve teaching for the under-fives.
Speaking in the Kent town on Thursday, Sir Keir warned that the “class ceiling” is stopping opportunities for too many children regarding pay, promotions and work opportunities.
“It’s about economic insecurity, structural and racial injustice – of course it is. But it’s also about a fundamental lack of respect,” his speech read.
Modernising the curriculum to abolish the “snobbery” of attitudes towards the “academic/vocational divide” and ensure young people have a grounding in both will also be part of Labour’s strategy.
“A snobbery that too often extends into adulthood. Raising its ugly head when it comes to inequalities at work – in pay, promotions, opportunities to progress,” Sir Keir added.
