I was interviewing Michael Gove recently when he delivered one of those deft lines that make him a one-man quote machine. His party, he said, needed to show that it had something better to offer “Billy Elliott” Britain than Labour did. Hark at the latest salvo in the social mobility battle, as the government runs out of time to close the opportunity gap.
“We are the party of social class mobility” said David Cameron in 2006. David Willetts recently endorsed a report by New Labour’s own Billy Elliott, Alan Milburn, on removing barriers to professional advancement for those from poorer backgrounds. And Tory chairman Eric Pickles says mobility can “strengthen society and get rid of dependency.” So in theory, the opportunity ladder stretches upwards under a Conservative government. What is not so obvious is whether it is a serious quest, or just more seductive mood music repositioning the party in the centre ground. For who doesn’t want to be a social mobiliser these days?
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