Welcome to my journal.
Get an insight into my day-to-day work and my perspective on key issues.
A National Youth Strategy is very welcome news
Yesterday, the Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced that the government would create a new National Youth Strategy to break down barriers to opportunity for young people.
Her statement mattered but it came as no surprise. The life chances of young people are crucially important for the nation and the government’s strategy will bring both funding and focus. Improving those life chances is vital to success in the Government delivering on its mission to break down barriers to opportunity, but I also know that it has long been a personal mission for this particular Secretary of State.
Where have all the childhoods gone?
Anne Longfield CBE and I wrote this article about how play has disappeared from childhoods, and why it is critical to reverse the trend - citing the Raising the Nation Play Commission that we launched in June 2024 as our commitment to see the change we demand is delivered.
How our next government can deliver a manifesto for children
In this article -written during the 2024 General Election campaign, I reflect on what an incoming government could do for children over 10 weeks, 10 months and 10 years.
Launching the ‘Raising the Nation’ Play Commission
Politicians should ask how our children can thrive: how they can feel significant, be confident, have life affirming childhoods and become the people that they each have the potential to be.
Because thriving childhoods reflect thriving societies, and as play is central to thriving childhoods, it should be central to political decision-making. The way children explore, experiment and build an understanding of the world really matters.
Only Labour can deliver the stability businesses need
Under the Conservatives, entrepreneurs have lived with chaos, drama and – from time to time – farce. Stability will give business leaders confidence and with confidence comes growth.
Why investment in Public Service Children’s Media is so is vital - especially now.
High quality British children’s content will become scarce and could become extinct. Parents, politicians and producers all have a role to play here – but all need to step up before it’s too late. As well as our great tradition of making high quality British media for children, we risk losing our heritage of growing new producers and writers. Once the traditional, regulated broadcasters and their budgets are no longer being found by children, who will pay for this vital element of our children’s nourishment?
How Labour can unleash our entrepreneurs and kick-start growth
Trickle-down economics has failed and continues to fail, and our economy has stopped growing. We are the only G7 nation to still have an economy smaller than it was pre-pandemic. And the IMF recently forecast that the UK will be among the worst performing economies in the G20 in 2023.
So what can Labour propose in order to avoid another decade of low growth and lots of inequality? ….
…. An entrepreneurial mindset places value in curiosity and innovation, constantly iterating for building growth and cultivating meaningful relationships, partnerships and collaborations.
Mission Led Government: The master key to open the door to transformational change
The way government works could be in for a long overdue shake up. Following Labour’s historic victory, it’s reported that five “mission boards”, chaired by the PM himself, will be set up to deliver Labour’s five missions across Whitehall departments. This could quietly prove to be the master key that unlocks effective, efficient government and delivers transformational change.
Innovation in the world of Children's Services
Summary of my keynote talk delivered to Coram Innovation Incubator, 2nd February 2024
Open letter to the Mayor of London as London's Child Obesity Taskforce
Every child a healthy weight - still a critical priority for young people in London. An open letter to the Mayor of London.
