Which Labour ministers did the most broadcast interviews in 2025?

Bridget Phillipson has dominated the airwaves with the most morning broadcast rounds of government ministers in 2025, LabourList can reveal.

Extensive LabourList analysis of broadcast rounds over the last 12 months by Labour ministers, both past and present, found that the Education Secretary had been sent out to bat the most on radio and TV interviews.

The Houghton and Sunderland South MP and deputy leadership contender took part in 12 morning broadcast rounds over the last year, two fewer than in 2024, but enough to see her clinch pole position among her ministerial peers.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting came a close second, unchanged from last year, with 11 appearances.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed saw a meteoric rise, jumping from 11th last year to third, appearing on the broadcast round ten times over the last 12 months.

Reed’s five appearances since taking on Angela Rayner’s former brief is the most of any minister since September’s reshuffle, followed closely by Wes Streeting, Josh MacAlister and Bridget Phillipson.

Pat McFadden, who had the most appearances last year, fell to fifth with eight appearances.

Ministers from the Department of Education and the Home Office engaged in the most media appearances, with 28 broadcast rounds each. Health ministers were close behind with 24 appearances, with ministers from the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government appearing 21 times.

Of the four great offices of state, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has performed the most media morning rounds with nine appearances, with seven of those being during her time as Home Secretary. Current Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has appeared on the broadcast round twice, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves has done five rounds this year. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has not done any broadcast rounds this year, with his first and only such appearance while in office being back on September 25 last year.

Since Labour won the general election, 59 current and former ministers have taken part in 330 broadcast rounds. With 17 each, Bridget Phillipson and Wes Streeting have the joint highest number of broadcast round appearances, followed by Pat McFadden and Yvette Cooper with 14 each.

The figures are based on analysis of Politico’s daily round-up of ministers scheduled to appear on behalf of the government.

Emma Burnell, editor of LabourList, said: “Forget the personality politics. Who is sent on the broadcast rounds seems to largely reflect the issues that the government are most focused on. Which is why it is little surprise that a Labour government has had so many appearances covering the health and education briefs.

“Given how high profile immigration is that it has been home secretaries Yvette Cooper and then Shabana Mahmood are so high up too.

“Steve Reed’s jump in the rankings since taking on the housing brief also shows how central delivering on the ‘build, baby, build’ narrative is seen to be to government success.

“Of course, while these are the ministers sent on the rounds, which shows what the government wants to talk about – there is no control over what they are asked about when they hit the airwaves. So all of them have – to varying degrees – provided early morning commentary on the internal dramas of the party too.”

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