A t the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), we have spent a lot time and effort publicising our general election manifesto, launched during Adult Learners' Week last June, with strong support from local government.

In it we argue for better access to the learning and skills system, improved outcomes for disadvantaged learners, and a clearer route for individuals and employers to prosper, making important proposals to ‘de-clog' a system that frequently mystifies policy-makers and political decision-makers, let alone its many millions of customers.