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It is truly shocking that after 13 years of a Labour Government, inequality has grown to the highest levels seen since the Second World War.  It is unbelievable that Labour think they can claim to be the party of aspiration when their failure to tackle the causes of poverty has let down so many lives.

We can’t go on like this. We need a change from Labour’s failed one-dimensional approach to tackling poverty and inequality. Conservatives will tackle the causes of poverty and inequality, not just the symptoms, through radical policies to address educational failure, family breakdown and worklessness.

But there is one slight ray of light.  It is welcome that more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university. Conservatives believe that anyone who has the academic ability and ambition should have the opportunity to go to university, regardless of how wealthy their parents are.

But some of the trends are moving in the wrong direction. Just one in five disadvantaged youngsters goes to university, compared to well over half of young people from wealthier backgrounds and this gap is getting wider. We can’t go on like this. 

If Labour were serious about improving social mobility they would adopt Conservative policies to help disadvantaged young people get to university, such as providing 10,000 more university places in 2010.