The Resolution Foundation, which focuses on low pay in the U.K., said putting this at the center of the government’s mission is welcome, but also warned that improving living standards is the “absolute bare minimum for any functioning government.” Put that on the re-election bumper sticker!
Starmer said the government will work with businesses to help create good jobs. However, his budget in October hiked taxes for employers, which could make them less likely to hire new staff or give higher wages to existing employees.
Achievability rating: 4/5. Despite the volatile economic backdrop, the milestone feels achievable, and specific. The government wants the measures of Real Household Disposable Income and GDP per person rising over the Parliament at both a national and regional level.
2) Make children ‘school-ready’
After a dire time for kids during the pandemic and afterwards, Starmer wants children starting school ready to learn.
There’s a concrete measure here. It’s aiming for 75 percent of 5-year-olds to reach a good level of development according the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment by 2028 — up from 67.7 percent currently.
The government has highlighted that many children are not adequately prepared for starting school, including not being toilet trained or able to dress independently. Addressing this issue is “going to involve much faster increases than we’ve seen, either post-pandemic or in the years leading up to it under the old measure,” warned Davies.