Now director of Social Mobility Strategy at DfE, Emran Mian is something of a polymath – he is also a published author (“The Banker’s Daughter” comes recommended) and contributor to Prospect. In his day job he was once secretary to the Browne Review. Very much In the shadows this year, Mian is one of the intellectual leading lights behind Greening and Johnson, with an unparalleled understanding of social mobility issues.
Well connected from his Social Market Foundation days, and a consummate civil servant, we suggested last year that he must have at least one clone in order to keep up such a huge workload. On reflection, we would put this number nearer six.