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Work should provide meaning and dignity, as well as income. At a time where the Office for National Statistics reports that 1 in 5 working-age people in Britain aren’t employed, the government must refresh our workforce by investing in skills, local finance, and giving workers a real stake in their companies.

Farming has shaped North Northumberland for generations. One local said to me: ‘we have farmed this land since the 1800s – each generation investing in long-term decisions which have benefitted not just the farm, but the local area.’ That’s a reminder that good work is often driven by pride, purpose, and belonging.

People without decent work don’t just face financial insecurity, but can feel adrift, without structure or self-confidence. Concerningly, even those who are in work seem to have stopped experiencing its human benefits, with King’s College London finding that UK public were the least likely of 24 countries to say work is very or rather important in their lives.

We’ve built an economy that rewards moving money around more than it rewards making things, growing things, and serving communities. Work should become a shared endeavour again through three ways.

First, I want to see the government continue what local businesses are already trying to do, which is offer proper skills training. In North Northumberland, there are huge areas with no vocational education options at all. The government should back a regional effort to train young people for craft and manufacturing as much as academic learning.

Second, financial investment must be given to small and medium-sized enterprises, which are the backbone of a healthy local economy. The British Business Bank discovered that London attracted 63% of all UK SME investment in 2023. Our farmers in Rothbury, hotels in Seahouses, and barley maltings in Berwick need proper access to the country’s finances and institutions too.

Third, a real stake. The success of a company should be linked to the thriving of its employees and the wider community; many businesses here already understand this, but need structures to ensure workers have a seat at the table.  

Closely related is the issue of welfare, where spending has only risen in recent years. The system must be reshaped to support people towards work rather than discouraging people. It isn’t a budget problem but a crisis of people’s sense of purpose and independence, which must be restored.

A place-based economy, with skills that root people in a trade, finance that backs local businesses, and shared obligations between workers and companies, would begin to improve the world of work. None of this is new or unrealistic – these are things which this country has done before and can do again.