From The Telegraph on 10 May 2013. A sharp rise in fees in recent years has left the independent education system so exclusive that children fail to mix with peers “who don’t have parents of substantial means”, said Lord Adonis. In a speech, he said most major private schools had originally been established as charities for the [...]
The strengths of the North East are great people, companies, universities, cities, countryside, public and cultural institutions, natural resources and a great location on the exporting edge of Europe. These are phenomenal assets. There was 10% employment growth in the decade to 2008 – 67,000 jobs, with strong growth in the private as well as [...]
On Wednesday 27 February 2013, the issue of lowering the voting age to 16 was debated in the House of Lords. Here is the text of my speech: My lords, I support votes at 16. It was Aristotle who said: “We are what we repeatedly do.” This is of course why education is so important [...]
On Tuesday 26 February 2013, there was a short debate about HS2 in the House of Lords. The transcript of the whole debate can be found here and I have reproduced my speech below. My Lords, the benefit/cost ratio for HS2 is strong, and stronger still once the high-speed lines extend north from Birmingham to Manchester, [...]
This afternoon I am speaking for Labour on the so called Growth and Infrastructure Bill. Here is the gist: The government seems to be re-defining the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Given the outright attack on localism in the Growth and Infrastructure Bill, DCLG may as well be re-named the Department against Communities [...]
Industrial policy Q: In your lecture on Roy Jenkins you said politicians should only do jobs they are passionate about. ["It is remarkable how often cabinet ministers occupy posts in which they evince little interest, let alone passion, simply because it's what they were offered."] Is industrial policy something you are passionate about? A: Yes. Where the jobs [...]
My Lords, Can I first congratulate Lord Marland on his new post. He earned great respect for his work at DECC, and I know he will do the same at BIS. I don’t think there is much dispute that Britain’s industrial base is too weak and too narrow. If that weren’t the case we probably [...]
This is taken from my opening speech to the Progress annual conference on 12th May Approaching mid-term, a significant political shift is taking place in Labour’s direction. Partly this is mid-term coalition blues. But something more fundamental is happening. The Tories promised their economic plan would deliver growth and jobs. Two years on it [...]
“Roy Jenkins as transformational minister” Mr Speaker’s lectures on great 20th century parliamentarians, 25 October 2011 Watch other lectures in the series on the BBC Democracy Live page Mr Speaker, It is a privilege to be speaking not only in your presence but also in the presence of Dame Jennifer Jenkins, who [...]
For the SSA Trust The 15th Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Annual Lecture, 28 June 2011 You can listen to the address here, and to answers to questions from the audience here. There is no point being in public life unless you seek, as honestly as you can, to address the big problems facing [...]