THE TELEGRAPH: The Coalition Government will try to boost social mobility by ''improving people's lives'' rather than giving them handouts, Nick Clegg has insisted.
The Deputy Prime Minister accused Labour of spending ''huge sums'' on welfare for low-income households without any ''discernable impact'' on the life chances of their children.
Mr Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, confirmed that former minister Alan Milburn has been appointed as the Government's independent reviewer on social mobility.
Speaking at an event organised by the CentreForum think-tank, Mr Clegg said: ''Under Labour huge sums of money were spent pushing low-income households just above the statistically defined level of household income - sometimes by just a few pounds a week - but with no discernible impact on the real life chances of the next generation.
''Tackling poverty of opportunity requires a more rounded approach. Welfare reform, for example, should be based on the need to improve people's lives, not just raise their incomes. >>> | Wednesday, August 18, 2010
