Press release

PM reaffirms commitment to bold programme of social reform

Prime Minister Theresa May will chair the Social Reform Cabinet Committee to make Britain better for everyone, not just the privileged few.

  • Theresa May chairs first Social Reform Cabinet Committee
  • Prime Minister: “We must make life easier for the majority of people in this country who just about manage”

The Prime Minister will today reaffirm her commitment to pursue a bold programme of social reform, chairing a new Cabinet committee focused on making Britain better for everyone, not just the privileged few.

This morning the Prime Minister will lead the first meeting of the Social Reform Cabinet Committee where she will highlight the progress made in recent years on issues like school choice and employment, but make clear her new government plans to go much further – ensuring government action benefits the majority of people who are working hard but struggling to get by.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

At the same time as helping the most vulnerable, we must pursue social reform in a much broader sense to help make life easier for the majority of people in this country who just about manage.

You might have a job but you don’t always have job security. You may have your own home, but you worry about paying a mortgage. You can just about manage but you worry about the cost of living and getting your kids into a good school.

So while we continue to help the worst off, we will also be focused on the millions of people for whom life is a struggle and who work all hours to keep their heads above water.

The Prime Minister has already set out her determination to tackle social injustices and last week ordered the first ever audit of racial disparities in public service outcomes.

The results of the audit will give every person the ability to check how their race affects the way they are treated by public services and the information will also help government and the public force poor-performing services to improve.

The Social Reform Cabinet Committee will meet regularly and will bring together Secretaries of State from 9 government departments. It will oversee and agree social policy reforms and lead the government’s work to increase social mobility, deliver social justice and make Britain a country that works for everyone.

Full list of members of the Social Reform Cabinet Committee:

  • Prime Minister
  • Chancellor of the Exchequer
  • Home Secretary
  • Lord Chancellor, Secretary of State for Justice
  • Secretary of State for Education
  • Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
  • Secretary of State for Health
  • Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
  • Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
  • Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
  • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Published 1 September 2016