Phillipson praises Gove’s ‘energy’ as Education Secretary despite controversy

Labour’s Bridget Phillipson has praised aspects of Michael Gove’s time as Education Secretary, arguing that the Tory cabinet minister brought a “sense of energy and drive and determination” to the brief.

In a speech to the Centre for Social Justice think tank this morning, the Shadow Education Secretary declared that Gove – who now serves as Levelling Up Secretary – had brought “a fresh eye, high expectations [and] new focus” to education “for all our disagreements”, but that was “now the distant past”.

Gove generated significant controversy in his time as Education Secretary in the early 2010s, rapidly driving through radical reforms and angering teachers with his combative style, including dubbing critics “the blob”.

His policies included the mass forced academisation of many schools, slashing school rebuilding projects, the introduction of the English Baccalaureate, a wider curriculum and exam shake-up and hiking university tuition fees.

In the speech earlier today, Phillipson argued that it is “no longer true” that “the government educates our children well” in England, adding: “The days when Michael Gove, for all our disagreements, brought a fresh eye, high expectations, new focus, are now the distant past.”

Asked about the comments in a question-and-answer session with journalists after the speech, Phillipson said: “What Michael Gove brought to education, for all of our disagreements about many of the approaches that he took, was a sense of energy and drive and determination, about education being central to national life.

“What we’ve seen in recent years with this merry-go-round of Education Secretaries… is a lack of priority being given to education. I think it speaks to a wider truth about how far education has been deprioritised since Michael Gove’s time.

“And I want to make sure, Keir wants to make sure, Labour will ensure that education is front and centre of national life once more, not just because it’s vital to individuals, to all of our children, but to all of us as a society.”

One party source said Phillipson was not endorsing Gove, with Labour critical of much of what he did as education secretary, but highlighting how education was at least talked about rather than “relegated to the margins” during his time in office.

It comes only a few weeks after Keir Starmer sparked controversy by crediting former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher with delivering “meaningful change” and having a “driving sense of purpose”, despite his disagreements with her.

Phillipson used today’s speech to outline Labour’s plan to tackle “a crisis of attendance in our schools”, which she told attendees is the “single biggest barrier to success for our children”.

She accused the government of not having “an idea in sight” on the challenges facing schools and set out Labour’s alternative vision, including existing plans for breakfast clubs in all primary schools, increased mental health support for young people and speech and language support in early years.

She also pledged that Labour in government would pass a law to register and count the children being taught at home and that the party would “join up information” between services “so every child can be supported”.

On tackling absences, she said “cheaper holidays, birthday treats, not fancying it today… are no excuses for missing school”, adding that “penalties must be part of the system, but they cannot be the answer alone”.