The Yorkshire Post says: Clearly Justine Greening wants to be a force for good

She, for one, knows there’s more to life than losing a Cabinet job and is still privileged to be a MP shaping the national debate.

This is borne out by the tone of Ms Greening’s interview with The Yorkshire Post in which the now former Education Secretary vows to champion the social mobility strategy that she launched last month and to work across the political divide to ensure every young person benefits from “an equality of opportunity”, a mantra which underpins her vision. She clearly wants to be a force for good rather than an embittered former minister who becomes a barrier to reform.

Of course it’s still perplexing that the Prime Minister decided that Ms Greening, the first Education Secretary to have attended a comprehensive school, was no longer suitable for this role when she was a clear communicator who recognises that the success – or failure – of Brexit negotiations does depend upon the Government responding to the needs, and concerns, of young people because they’re the future of this country.

Yet Ms Greening’s candour is pertinent for three other reasons. First she, as a former Minister, admits that the Government needs to do much more in the North.

This is helpful.

Second, she clearly believes that the whole Government needs to pull together to ensure that young people across the country receive the very best start in life, and that business plays a key role in the skills debate.

This is welcome.

Finally, her acceptance that reform takes time and does require the support of other parties if lasting progress is to be made. They are lessons that the Government should have the wisdom to accept in these testing times.