Bridget Phillipson appointed as education secretary following Labour election victory
By Shannon Pite
Former shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has been confirmed as education secretary following Labour's recent general election victory.
Ms Phillipson, who will also hold the role of women and equalities minister, has been the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South since 2010. Since then, she has served as an Opposition Whip, and has sat on a number of Parliamentary select committees, including the Public Accounts Committee.
In April 2020 she joined the shadow cabinet under Keir Starmer as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, before being appointed shadow education secretary in November 2021.
In a letter to the education sector published following her appointment as education secretary, Ms Phillipson wrote:
To all working in early years, children’s services, schools, further and higher education,
It’s a huge privilege to write to you today to introduce myself as your new Secretary of State for Education and to thank you for your vital work. I want this moment to mark a reset in our relationship: under this new government, education will once again be at the heart of change and the forefront of national life. I can’t wait to start working together with you as we begin to transform our system so that young people get the skills, care and opportunities they deserve.
I know how hard you work to support our learners and families; you are key to breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving life chances for every child. You have supported our children and young people through a great deal of disruption – guiding their curiosity, building their resilience, and helping them achieve and thrive. You and your work are essential to the change this government wants to achieve across the country, and I want our renewed relationship to reflect that.
The full letter is available .
Commenting on her appointment, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said:
“We welcome the news that Bridget Philipson has been appointed as education secretary and look forward to continuing to work closely with her in this role.
"For far too long, the early years has not been given the same respect or recognition as schools, colleges or universities, and has been largely viewed by policymakers as a vehicle to support parents to work, rather than a critical part of the education system.
“As such, we look forward to working with Ms Phillipson going forward to support the development of a comprehensive long-term strategy for the sector that ensures that early years providers are realistically funded, supported and, crucially, valued.”