The vision to do today what is needed for tomorrow. In other words, we need to change the way our country works. That requires a change in mindset
JUST look at our state schools, empowered by reform, in some of the most deprived parts of our country, producing some of the best results. Those teachers and pupils work hard and make sacrifices because they know that what they are doing is bigger than themselves. They demand, inspire, and deliver excellence. And their ethos of excellence can become the animating spirit of our nation. Inspired by them, together we can change our country’s character. We can reverse the creeping acceptance of a narrative of decline. Reject pessimism and fatalism. Refuse limits on our aspirations. To do that, we need to have the imagination and confidence to do things differently and better.
The vision to do today what is needed for tomorrow. In other words, we need to change the way our country works. That requires a change in mindset. What does that mean in practice?
It means: A more innovative economy… Stronger communities and safer streets…A world class education system…An NHS built around patients…And a society that truly values the family.
In all these areas and more we must have the courage to change. To think bigger, strive for excellence, not give up when things get tough. And if we can do that……then we really can build a better future.
In the coming months I will set out our plans in each of these areas. But let me set the direction, today. A better future is one where our economy is growing faster so that everybody, everywhere across our Union, has new opportunities for better paying, good jobs. And the change we need is to put innovation at the heart of everything we do. An ethos embodied by so many of the fantastic businesses here at Plexal.
Some people think innovation is about gadgets and geekery – a nice to have, peripheral to growth compared to the traditional levers of tax and spend. That’s exactly the mindset we need to change.
Let me tell you why innovation is so important. Over the last 50 years, it was responsible for around half of the UK’s productivity increase. New jobs are created by innovation. People’s wages increased by innovation. The cost of goods and services reduced by innovation. And major challenges like energy security and net zero will be solved by innovation.
The more we innovate, the more we grow. And the world is seeing an incredible wave of scientific and technological change… …so right now, the most powerful way to achieve higher growth is to make sure the UK the most innovative economy in the world.
That’s why we are: Increasing public funding in R&D to £20bn to enhance our world leading strengths in AI, life sciences, quantum, fintech, and green technology. Seizing the opportunities of Brexit to ensure our regulatory system is agile and pro-innovation. Making sure entrepreneurial and fast-growing companies get the finance they need to expand. Spreading a culture of creative thinking and doing things differently across every part of the UK.
If we’re going to deliver this better future, people will have to work hard. But I believe good, well-paid jobs are about more than just financial security. They give people purpose, confidence, dignity – the chance to build a better life for themselves. But I also believe that if you work hard and play by the rules – you should be rewarded.
Which is why as soon as we can, the Government will reduce the burden of taxation on working people. And it is staggering that at a time when businesses are crying out for workers, a quarter of our labour force is inactive. So our growth plan will look at how we can support those who can, to move back into work – including through the welfare system.
Now all of this will make this country a beacon of science, technology, and enterprise and lift our productivity, raise our growth rate, create jobs in the decades to come.
Good jobs give people pride in their own lives. But a better future also means reinforcing people’s pride in the places they call home. And the change we need is to do away with the idea that it’s inevitable that some communities and some places can never and will never get better.
I love my local community and it’s not right that too many for far too long have not felt that same sense of meaning and belonging. Government can’t create it – it’s something we build together. But the state does provide the foundations. So we will deliver on our promise to level up – with greater investment in local areas, to boost growth, create jobs…
…and reinvigorate our High Streets and Town Centres. But all the regeneration in the world won’t mean anything unless people feel safe in their communities.
