John Redwood

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THE NO TURNING BACK GROUP

Michael Fallon, Member of Parliament for Sevenoaks, and the NTB Group today urged government to recognise the mistakes of the last ten years and take the issue of social mobility more seriously.

In a pamphlet entitled The Caravan Moves On, Putting social Mobility back into Britain, Michael Fallon vigorously attacks Labour’s failure to help those stuck at the bottom of the income pile. He gives a devastating critique of a costly and complicated social experiment which has failed to help those who need it most.

Michael Fallon said: “After ten years of a Labour government, it is now much more difficult to make your way from a Council estate in the centre of one of our big cities to a university place, a good job and a home of your own.

There are two Britains. The one in which the majority of us live, with jobs, cars, and homes of our own. In the other live many stranded on benefits, in poor quality public sector rented accommodation, without cars, jobs and many of the luxuries of modern living.”

Michael Fallon and the NTB Group look at ideas that would enable many more to make the journey from dependence to independence, from poor schooling to good education and from unemployment to satisfying work.

The pamphlet sets out ideas on increased home ownership with particular assistance to first time buyers. It offers thoughts on how to abolish the postcode lottery for schools and it shows how the tax system has been stacked against the lower wage earners.

Chairman of the NTB, the Rt Hon John Redwood MP said: “ We need to break the cycle of dependence, by offering better education, helping people to more opportunity of good schools and university places. We need to promote home ownership for all, to help wean people off the need to pay rent for the rest of their lives. We need to improve incentives to work, for Gordon’s benefit system has become one of the obstacles to progress for many.

“Michael Fallon’s new pamphlet blazes a trail of hope for those that Labour’s world has left behind. 5.3 million adults of working age are without jobs. Many millions are without hope that they too can enjoy the lifestyle of that other Britain that many take for granted.”