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My thoughts on economic growth and education in one place, since it's part of the topic of the day. tomforth.co.uk/graduateprem...

There was a lot of consensus that skills, above other things, would deliver growth for Britain. We did really well, across parties, consistently, for three decades on this. Kids can read. Graduate share boomed. And it largely didn't work at growing our economy. tomforth.co.uk/humancapital/

A few quotes and some data from me on this topic here. 38% of jobs in Oxfordshire are available to those with no and low qualifications. 51% of jobs in Teesside are. Shouldn't we give people the freedom to choose what works for them and their place? inews.co.uk/news/educati...

A lot of people really won't like it. "Soft bigotry of low expectations" stuff. And I somewhat agree. It is a tragedy if a bright kid in Middlesbrough doesn't know about the jobs they could get with more and harder study. Or feels that those jobs somehow "aren't for them".

So we've got to avoid that. But at the same time, I think it's a shame if we're telling kids in places like East Yorkshire like a lot of my friends growing up that the world is their lobster and if they study more and harder there'll be well paid jobs for them. There may not be.