John Healey said this week Britain is “underusing the huge potential of Britain’s workers”.
I know he is right.
There are people across this country who want to work and have plenty to offer but who are too often overlooked. Veterans leaving the Armed Forces. People with disabilities. People who need some extra support or training to get their foot through the door.
The question is how we can help more of those people into work.
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The Government already spends nearly £300 billion a year buying the goods and services it needs.
That is an extraordinary amount of taxpayers’ money – and every pound has the potential to deliver even greater value for Britain.
When a public body buys road signs, construction services, uniforms, or any of the thousands of other things government needs, price and quality obviously matter. But those decisions can do more for our communities too. They can support British jobs, create skills, and open doors for people looking for an opportunity.
I know the difference that can make because I see it every day.
At Royal British Veterans Enterprise, our social enterprises produce more than 250,000 road, rail and commercial signs every year. Our customers include Network Rail, Amey, Balfour Beatty, Barratt Redrow, Tarmac and Associated British Ports.
Behind it is a team where more than 70 per cent of the people are veterans, have at least one disability, or both.
And their work is out there on some of Britain’s biggest infrastructure projects, including Sizewell C and the Lower Thames Crossing. So, the next time you pass an entrance sign on one of those sites, there is a good chance you are looking at something made by a veteran.
This is not charity. These are people doing real jobs, making products British businesses need and contributing to the economy.
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And there is a wider benefit too.
Every veteran we support back into employment through our Lifeworks programme saves society an estimated £23,000 a year through lower welfare dependency and health costs. For every £1 invested, we estimate around £8 is returned in social value.
Behind those figures are people earning a wage, contributing to society, supporting their families and building independent lives.
That is good for them, employers and the taxpayer.
This is why social procurement is so important.
From January, the Government’s new Social Value Model will put greater emphasis on British jobs, skills, and opportunities when awarding central government contracts worth £1million or more.
I welcome that. If the new model is transparent and focuses on outcomes.
When businesses commit to creating jobs, apprenticeships, or training opportunities, those results should be visible.
Who got the job? Who received the training? How many apprenticeships were really created?
And with nearly £300billion of public spending involved, the opportunity to create lasting change for Britain is vast.
Every company has suppliers. Every company spends money. Where it makes commercial sense, why not ask whether some of that spending could support a British manufacturer or a social enterprise that employs people who have struggled to get their chance to build a working life?
Especially when you still expect the right product, at the right quality and at a competitive price.
That is what social value achieves.
Healey is right. Britain is not making full use of the people who want to work.
The good news is many of the tools needed to change that already exist. The Government is already spending hundreds of billions of pounds every year. Businesses are spending billions more.
Let us make that money work harder.
Back British businesses where we can. Create dignified jobs with skill development. Give veterans, disabled people and others who have been overlooked the chance to reach their potential.
Britain does not always need to spend more to achieve more. Sometimes we just need to spend smarter.
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