{"id":67341,"date":"2016-02-05T15:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-02-05T15:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=9a8b829890ace67c1e34e76f7a3cfde8"},"modified":"2016-02-05T15:00:59","modified_gmt":"2016-02-05T15:00:59","slug":"speech-a-shared-taste-for-the-sea-why-britains-young-people-need-both-opportunity-and-inspiration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=67341","title":{"rendered":"Speech: \u201cA shared taste for the sea\u201d: why Britain\u2019s young people need both opportunity and inspiration"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

I\u2019ve had the privilege to live and work in different countries and cultures all around the world.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019m not exaggerating or being trite when I say that the UK is, by far, the best.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the most open, the most tolerant, the most diverse in every way. <\/p>\n

My parents had very little when they left Pakistan for Britain.<\/p>\n

This nation has given them so much.<\/p>\n

It gave them a place to start again.<\/p>\n

The opportunity to work hard and be rewarded for it. <\/p>\n

The chance to make good on that most basic of ambitions.<\/p>\n

To secure for your children a better, more comfortable life than your own.<\/p>\n

So I have a lot of love for my country, and I never take it for granted. <\/p>\n

But I\u2019m not blind to reality.<\/p>\n

I know things are far from perfect.<\/p>\n

That the playing field is far from level. <\/p>\n

And that equality before the law, equality on paper, does not guarantee fairness in the real world.<\/p>\n

I first noticed it when I was a kid, in a Bristol playground, when I saw that people who looked like me were treated differently by some people. <\/p>\n

Called different names, told different things, presented with different expectations. <\/p>\n

Today, 40-odd years later, it\u2019s impossible to deny that our tolerant, diverse, open society still has a long way to go. <\/p>\n

Just look at the statistics.<\/p>\n

Only 6% of MPs are from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to 14% of the people they serve.<\/p>\n

More than half of FTSE<\/abbr> 100 CEOs went to private schools, even though only 7% of Britons do.<\/p>\n

Not even a third of Britain\u2019s local councillors are women.<\/p>\n

Young black men are more likely to be in prison than in a top university.<\/p>\n

And if they do make it into higher education, they can expect to earn 23% less than their white counterparts after graduating.<\/p>\n

The first Race Relations Act was passed 4 years before I was even born.<\/p>\n

But after half a century of equal opportunities legislation, race, class and gender still play an immeasurable role in people\u2019s life chances. <\/p>\n

And even if we could click our fingers and eliminate, overnight, all the explicit and unconscious bias in society, it wouldn\u2019t be enough. <\/p>\n

So much in our society depends on networks, on experience and on expectations.<\/p>\n

On knowing people who have been there and done that.<\/p>\n

On having someone pushing you in the right direction, telling you what is possible rather than what\u2019s not.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the kind of support that many people in this country take for granted. <\/p>\n

But for too many of us, it is still sadly lacking.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s why UpRising<\/a> is so important. <\/p>\n

Because it creates those networks.<\/p>\n

It provides the mentors that more privileged individuals have always had access to.<\/p>\n

It gives young people a positive message, the support and encouragement that has too often been denied them because of who they are or where they come from. <\/p>\n

Above all, it gives them the confidence to go out there and fulfil their potential. <\/p>\n

To follow their dreams rather than limit them.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s not just morally sound, it makes good economic sense.<\/p>\n

As Business Secretary I know that the job descriptions of tomorrow have yet to be written.<\/p>\n

But I do know for sure that, if Britain is going to remain competitive, we will need our workforce to be diverse, innovative, flexible and mobile.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s a perfect description of UpRising\u2019s alumni. <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been particularly impressed by the Emerging Leaders Network (ELN<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n

It reflects, far better than the House of Commons or the City boardroom, what modern Britain is all about.<\/p>\n

And I was delighted to hear that many ELN<\/abbr> members have set up their own companies. <\/p>\n

A nice boost for the long term economic plan! <\/p>\n

So I\u2019d recommend to any aspiring young leader that they become a part of this network.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019d urge all the organisations here tonight to support it.<\/p>\n

Because I know what a difference it can make when you find the right champion, the right mentor, the right inspiration at the right time. <\/p>\n

I know it because I was lucky enough to find 3 of them myself. <\/p>\n

I was born in Rochdale, but I grew up in Bristol in a place called Stapleton Road.<\/p>\n

A tabloid newspaper – one based in a tower just over there! – once dubbed it \u201cJunkie Street\u201d. <\/p>\n

They said it was the most dangerous road in Britain, \u201ca moral cesspit\u201d.<\/p>\n

So when I was doing my O-levels and thinking about what to do next, my school was very clear.<\/p>\n

I should leave at 16 and go get a low-paid, low-skilled job.<\/p>\n

Not because it was the best thing for me, or because I wasn\u2019t clever enough to do A-levels.<\/p>\n

But because that\u2019s what kids from Stapleton Road did.<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t do A-levels.<\/p>\n

We didn\u2019t go to university.<\/p>\n

We certainly didn\u2019t set our sights on the FTSE<\/abbr> 100 boardroom or the green benches of Westminster. <\/p>\n

In the end I had to change school in order to be allowed to carry on with my studies.<\/p>\n

And it was at my new school, the brilliant Filton Technical College, where I met the first of my great mentors.<\/p>\n

A guy named Stan.<\/p>\n

Stan taught economics, and he was great at it.<\/p>\n

But he didn\u2019t just teach.<\/p>\n

He inspired.<\/p>\n

People raised eyebrows when I announced I was thinking of going to university.<\/p>\n

Voices all around me were saying I should quit while I was ahead. <\/p>\n

Leave school at 18 and get a job in an office somewhere.<\/p>\n

They said there was no point applying to university, I\u2019d only be disappointed and dejected when I got turned down.<\/p>\n

That people like me didn\u2019t go into higher education.<\/p>\n

Not Stan.<\/p>\n

He encouraged me, he supported me, he wrote me references.<\/p>\n

Above all he made me believe in myself, gave me the confidence to apply and to succeed. <\/p>\n

So, thanks to Stan, when I was 18 I packed my bags and headed off to university.<\/p>\n

The first Javid to ever do so.<\/p>\n

And that was my first great UpRising.<\/p>\n

I loved Exeter University, thrived there.<\/p>\n

I made good friends, lifelong friends.<\/p>\n

I studied hard, I had fun, I learned more about myself and more about the world.<\/p>\n

But after nearly 3 years, when I started thinking about what to do next, the naysayers surfaced once again.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d become fascinated by international finance\u2026<\/p>\n

I wanted to go to London and work for one of the big city banks.<\/p>\n

And people told me not to:<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t bother applying Saj\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople like you don\u2019t work in the Square Mile\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll only be disappointed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And in many ways they were right.<\/p>\n

I applied to all 5 of the major British merchant banks. <\/p>\n

I was rejected by every single one!<\/p>\n

I remember an interview at Rothschilds, I was full of excitement.<\/p>\n

I walked into the room, and was faced with a panel of 7 old, white men in pin stripe suits.<\/p>\n

It was the living, breathing embodiment of the old boys\u2019 network!<\/p>\n

One of the first questions they asked – after whether I\u2019d gone to a private of state school – was what my father did for a living. <\/p>\n

So I said \u201cHe used to drive a bus, now he runs a little shop selling women\u2019s clothes\u201d.<\/p>\n

The panel didn\u2019t so much answer as make a noise: \u201cEwww\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n

And at that point I realised I probably wasn\u2019t going to get the job!<\/p>\n

Fortunately there were some more enlightened minds around, and I got a job with Chase Manhattan on Wall Street.<\/p>\n

It was a brilliant place to work, mostly because of my boss, an American woman named Cindy.<\/p>\n

And she was my second mentor, the next person I have to thank.<\/p>\n

She showed me the ropes, she invested a huge amount of time in my career.<\/p>\n

She wanted me to do well and she made sure I did.<\/p>\n

When people ask how I got to be a vice-president of Chase Manhattan at the age of 25, I can answer with 3 words: \u201cBecause of Cindy\u201d. <\/p>\n

So that was my second great inspiration, and my second great UpRising. <\/p>\n

Now I\u2019d always loved politics, I have my dad to thank for that.<\/p>\n

And by 2005 I was thinking about switching careers. <\/p>\n

About becoming an MP.<\/p>\n

A Conservative MP. <\/p>\n

And yet again those voices came whispering back. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the Conservatives, Saj, they\u2019re the whiter than white party\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been around since 1834, they\u2019ve only got two BME<\/abbr> MPs and have never had a single Muslim one\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople like you don\u2019t get selected\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKnow your limits, don\u2019t overreach, you\u2019ll only be disappointed.\u201d<\/p>\n

By now I was getting used to ignoring such advice!<\/p>\n

I found a wonderful association in wonderful constituency.<\/p>\n

And in May 2010 I had the honour of becoming the Member of Parliament for Bromsgrove.<\/p>\n

A constituency that\u2019s more than 95% white!<\/p>\n

I was as shocked as anyone!<\/p>\n

I remember driving home after the count, I turned to my wife and said \u201cLaura, in your wildest dreams did you ever think I\u2019d actually become an MP?\u201d<\/p>\n

And she looked at me and said: \u201cDarling, you\u2019re not in my wildest dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Received wisdom for new MPs says you should keep your head down, learn the ropes, find your way around.<\/p>\n

Park any thoughts of promotion until you\u2019ve clocked up a couple of terms on the back benches.<\/p>\n

And the usual suspects were there once again, warning that people like me shouldn\u2019t be too ambitious.<\/p>\n

But the third person I have to thank saw things differently. <\/p>\n

You might have heard of this one, he\u2019s called George.<\/p>\n

George Osborne.<\/p>\n

He gave me my first real break in government when, in 2011, he invited me to become his Parliamentary Private Secretary. <\/p>\n

A year later I joined his ministerial team at the Treasury.<\/p>\n

And I continued working with him right up until I joined the Cabinet in 2014. <\/p>\n

So he was responsible for my third great UpRising.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m still in touch with Cindy, I saw her last year.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know what Stan\u2019s doing now, or even if he\u2019s still with us.<\/p>\n

If anyone at Filton knows where he is I\u2019d love to thank him in person. <\/p>\n

And as for George\u2026 I hear he\u2019s doing quite well!<\/p>\n

I can honestly say that if I hadn\u2019t stumbled across Stan, Cindy and George when I did, I wouldn\u2019t be standing here today.<\/p>\n

And I am absolutely committed to making sure that the next generation don\u2019t have to rely on being that lucky.<\/p>\n

Now I know the world of politics is a pretty partisan place at present. <\/p>\n

The dividing lines between right and left are starker than they\u2019ve been for some time.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s certainly not fashionable for an MP to praise a member of the other team.<\/p>\n

But you know what?<\/p>\n

Some things are bigger than party loyalty.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I cannot praise Rushanara Ali highly enough for her work with UpRising.<\/p>\n

Rushanara, thank you so much, what you\u2019re doing is just incredible.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s why I was delighted to see the Prime Minister recruiting David Lammy to lead a review<\/a> of perceived racial bias in the criminal justice system. <\/p>\n

Last weekend you will also have heard the Prime Minister saying that he wants to tear down barriers of race, class and gender at our top universities.<\/p>\n

In 2014 just 27 black students entered Oxford University out of an intake of more than 2,500.<\/p>\n

And only 1 in 10 of the poorest white working class boys enter higher education.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why we\u2019re introducing a new transparency duty for universities.<\/p>\n

It will highlight those universities where representation of ethnic minorities and those from disadvantaged groups are low.<\/p>\n

And it will help schools, colleges and higher education institutions identify where more work needs to be done.<\/p>\n

Of course, such challenges aren\u2019t limited to the education system.<\/p>\n

So tonight I can announce that we\u2019ve asked Baroness McGregor-Smith – Ruby to her friends! – to lead a review of the issues faced by businesses in developing BME<\/abbr> talent, all the way up to executive level.<\/p>\n

Ruby has been there and done that. <\/p>\n

Born in Northern India, raised in West London, she has worked her way up to become CEO<\/abbr> of a \u00a32 billion company.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s seen for herself the challenges that young BME<\/abbr> people face.<\/p>\n

She knows all too well how your background can be a barrier in too many workplaces.<\/p>\n

And she\u2019s shown us all how it\u2019s possible for an Asian woman to succeed in modern Britain. <\/p>\n

Ruby is an inspiration, a role model, and I wish her all the very best.<\/p>\n

Because we have a claim to be the most successful multiracial, multifaith democracy on earth.<\/p>\n

But our success isn\u2019t enough if there are young people who don\u2019t feel like there\u2019s a fair chance for them. <\/p>\n

Take that guy in the video we just saw.<\/p>\n

He could see the towers of Canary Wharf looming over his estate.<\/p>\n

But they may as well be on a different planet for all the contact he had with the people who worked inside them.<\/p>\n

You shouldn\u2019t look at people like me or Rushanara or Ruby and say it\u2019s amazing that we\u2019ve succeed in spite of our backgrounds.<\/p>\n

You should be asking why more people with our backgrounds haven\u2019t made it this far. <\/p>\n

Antoine de Saint-Exup\u00e9ry, author of the Little Prince, once wrote that: <\/p>\n

\n

Building a boat isn\u2019t about weaving canvas, forging nails, or reading the sky.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s about giving a shared taste for the sea.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

We can ban discrimination.<\/p>\n

We can pass legislation.<\/p>\n

We can guarantee equal rights.<\/p>\n

But that alone is not enough.<\/p>\n

If we\u2019re going to deliver the true equality that Britain\u2019s disadvantaged young people deserve, we can\u2019t just open the doors.<\/p>\n

We have to let them know they are open. <\/p>\n

We have to give them the confidence and the means to compete with their more privileged peers. <\/p>\n

We have to give them a shared taste for the sea.<\/p>\n

So I applaud the work being done by UpRising to make that happen. <\/p>\n

And I\u2019d urge everyone here tonight, and everyone across the country, whatever their politics, to play their part in making the UK a fairer, more equal place. <\/p>\n

One where everyone can find their own Stans and Cindys.<\/p>\n

One where what you can do matters more than what you look like. <\/p>\n

Where everyone has the chance to experience their own UpRising. <\/p>\n

Because the UK is the best country on earth, and its young people deserve no less. <\/p>\n

Thank you.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sajid Javid tells the UpRising gala dinner about the people who changed his life, and how we can all help others find the same inspiration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67341"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=67341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67341\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=67341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=67341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=67341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}