Breaking Down Barriers: Labour’s most important mission?
As Britain gears up for a general election later this year, recent polling by YouGov - released this week - shows a dramatic lead for the Labour Party, projecting a victory reminiscent of the 1997 landslide. Should the election be held today, Labour would win 385 seats in Parliament, compared to just 169 for the Conservatives - an almost direct reversal of the 2019 result.
The Labour Party, under the leadership of Keir Starmer, has outlined five pivotal missions that form the bedrock of its agenda for government. These missions encompass a broad range of social, economic, and environmental objectives, reflecting Labour's comprehensive vision for the future of the UK.
Get Britain building again.
Put the NHS back on its feet.
Switch on Great British Energy.
Take back our streets.
Break down barriers to opportunity.
It is, however, the fifth mission - Breaking Down Barriers - that stands out as Labour's answer to the challenges of inequality and poor social mobility that have long plagued the UK economy and impeded economic growth. To succeed it must address the root causes of disparity in the UK. Labour's approach must be more holistic than current approaches, aiming not only to bridge the social challenges but also to remove the various barriers that stand in the way of both opportunity and higher economic growth in the UK. Those individual and interlocking barriers are set out here in the Purpose Goals: https://www.purposegoals.org/
This mission has the both the potential to unlock the UK’s productivity problem and resonate deeply with the electorate, particularly with those who voted Conservative for the very first time in 2019 and feel the levelling up agenda has not been delivered on.
It is, arguably, Labour’s most important mission. Founded in 1900 and having grown from the trade union and socialist parties of the previous century, the Labour Party proudly boasts of its ethos of equality and social justice, and breaking down barriers to opportunity is its Mission to put its values into action.
As I see from my work with the Purpose Coalition, mobilising businesses, employers, and the third sector will be pivotal in actualising this fifth, and I would argue most important mission.
Recognising that government efforts alone are insufficient to overcome systemic barriers, the Coalition advocates for every organisation to develop their own Breaking Down Barriers plan. These plans – put in place already by leading Purpose Coalition employers - should be tailored to address specific challenges within each organisation, contributing to a broader shift towards inclusion and equality.
Labour MP’s work with the Purpose Coalition underscores a key aspect of its strategy: leveraging partnerships between parliament, the private sector, and civil society to drive change. This collaborative approach is fundamental to creating sustainable and achievable solutions to the entrenched issues of inequality and poor productivity.
As the current polls suggest a favourable outcome for Labour, the party’s focus on Breaking Down Barriers is not just a political strategy, but a promise of a more equitable and economically successful Britain. Labour's vision extends beyond the corridors of power, influencing organisations across the nations and regions to commit to tangible, impactful changes.
This election could mark a significant shift in the UK's approach to tackling inequality and boosting growth. For Labour, Breaking Down Barrier’s must be core to that new approach.
