Clegg: yes to social mobility, no to regional pay bargaining

Via Politics Home:

Nick Clegg this morning highlighted the importance of the Lib Dems in keeping the Coalition focused on social mobility.

In a speech to a school in north London, Mr Clegg flagged up his party’s Pupil Premium policy and said: “The Liberal Democrats are in this government to play our part in rescuing and reforming the economy. But we are not going to miss our chance to make Britain a better, fairer place too.”…

Asked about regional pay bargaining, Mr Clegg said: “There is going to be no regional pay system, that is not going to happen.”

He said the Government was looking only at some localised bargaining in the public sector, along the lines of the previous Labour government’s reforms in the courts service. He added that he would reject any action that exacerbated the north-south divide.