Who is Bridget Phillipson? Bridget Phillipson is a senior Labour politician who: Was born in 1983 in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Has been the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South since 2010 . Studied Modern History at the University of Oxford . Served in several shadow ministerial roles, including Shadow Education Secretary and Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury . Has been Secretary of State for Education since July 2024 , and also serves as Minister for Women and Equalities . ( GOV.UK ) Political views Phillipson is generally regarded as being on the moderate (centre-left) wing of the Labour Party. She is known for: Raising education standards. Expanding childcare and early years education. Improving teacher recruitment and retention. Supporting skills, apprenticeships and lifelong learning. Promoting equality of opportunity and social mobility. ( GOV.UK ) What does the Education Secretary do? The Secretary of State for Education is responsible for education policy in Eng...

  Who is Lucy Powell? Lucy Powell is a senior Labour politician who: Was born in 1974 in Manchester. Has been the MP for Manchester Central since 2012 . Previously worked in education and local government before entering Parliament. Served as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council (2024–2025) , overseeing the government's legislative programme and parliamentary business.  Was elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party in 2025 and was appointed Secretary of State for Education in July 2026 under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. ( GOV.UK ) Political views Powell is generally considered to be on the moderate (centre-left) wing of the Labour Party. She is known for: Improving educational standards and opportunities. Supporting investment in schools and skills. Parliamentary reform and modernisation. Greater regional investment and economic growth. A pragmatic approach to public service reform.  What does the Education Secretary do? The Secretary of St...

  Who is Yvette Cooper? Yvette Cooper is one of Labour's most experienced politicians who: Was born in 1969 in Inverness, Scotland, and grew up in England. Has been a Labour MP since 1997 (currently representing Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley ). Held several senior ministerial positions under the Blair and Brown governments, including roles in the Treasury, Housing and Work & Pensions. Served as Home Secretary (2024–2025) and then Foreign Secretary (2025–2026) . Was appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in July 2026 , taking responsibility for the NHS and social care. ( GOV.UK ) Political views Cooper is generally considered to be on the moderate (centre-left) wing of the Labour Party. She is known for: Supporting well-funded public services. Taking a pragmatic approach to economic policy. Supporting controlled immigration alongside stronger border security. Backing international cooperation and NATO. Focusing on NHS reform and improving public ser...

  Who is Wes Streeting? Wes Streeting is a senior Labour politician who: Was born in 1983 in London. Has been the MP for Ilford North since 2015 . Previously served as President of the National Union of Students (NUS) . Was Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (2024–2026) , leading reforms to the NHS and social care. ( UK Parliament ) Was appointed Secretary of State for Defence in July 2026 , becoming responsible for the UK's armed forces and national defence. ( GOV.UK ) Political views Streeting is generally regarded as being on the centre-right (moderate) wing of the Labour Party. He is known for: Reforming and modernising public services. Improving NHS efficiency and reducing waiting times. Supporting economic growth alongside public service investment. Strong support for NATO and the UK's security alliances. A pragmatic approach to policymaking rather than ideological politics.  What does the Defence Secretary do? The Secretary of State for Defence is responsi...

Who is Ed Miliband? Ed Miliband is a senior Labour politician who: Was born in 1969 in London. Has been the MP for Doncaster North since 2005 . Served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition (2010–2015) . Served as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (2024–2026) , leading the government's clean energy and climate agenda. Was appointed Foreign Secretary in July 2026 , becoming the UK's chief diplomat under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Political views Miliband is generally considered to be on the centre-left (soft left) of the Labour Party. He is known for: Climate change and clean energy. International cooperation. Social justice. Support for international law. Closer cooperation with European allies while maintaining strong UK-US relations. Ed Miliband (Foreign Secretary): Swapped his energy brief for international diplomacy. He faces enduring pushback from internal factions who remain deeply distrustful of his aggressive green transition a...