Childcare rollout won’t be ‘sunlit uplands’ promised by the Tories, Bridget Phillipson says

Sun readers know that for years now, childcare in this country has been too expensive, impossible to find, or more likely both.

Parents will have their own horror stories of travelling miles to the nearest available place, forking out for nursery bills higher than their mortgage, or relying on grandparents for childcare.

And in some areas, families’ struggle is worse than in others.

Some places in the South East count more childcare places than areas with lower incomes and more child poverty like where I grew up in the North East.

That’s unfair, and it’s no wonder that mums and dads want answers about the September 2025 rollout of 30 hours of government-funded childcare.

I wish I could promise everything is fine. But I won’t sugarcoat it.

Before the election I warned the Tories not to make big childcare promises they couldn’t keep, that working families would pay the price. 

And since becoming Education Secretary, it’s become even clearer to me that making this happen is going to be an enormous challenge.

There’s a big shortage of staff and places: the government’s spending watchdog has said that to deliver the rollout, in some parts of the country we will need to double or even triple capacity to deliver the additional hours.  

Those are enormous gaps to fill, left behind – knowingly – by the Tories.

I’m not surprised parents feel cheated and let down.

The last Conservative government recklessly rushed through a childcare pledge without a plan to carry it out, once again leaving Labour to pick up the pieces and fix the foundations.

That’s a dereliction of duty and shows a lack of basic respect for working people.

I believe public trust matters in politics.

That’s what this Labour government of service is guided by - honesty and integrity.

Yes,  the 2025 childcare rollout will go ahead – but it won’t be the sunlit uplands promised by the Tories.

That means in some parts of the country while parents may receive the hours they were promised, they might not get their first choice of nursery or childminder.

I know it’s not what parents want to hear but this Labour government is one of service.

We will always be honest with the public.

Sun on Sunday readers also have my word when I say we’re rolling up our sleeves to get on with the job.

My team are working flat out with local leaders to deliver the places for this September when thousands of children age 9 months to two will get government funded childcare for the first time.

We also are doing everything we possibly can to bridge local gaps in time for September 2025.

And in the coming weeks and months I’ll be setting out my plans to use spare primary school classrooms to create extra nursery places and to recruit more staff by relaunching our recruitment campaign.  

So yes, we face enormous challenges. But parents deserve the change they voted for.

That’s why I will work tirelessly to build a childcare system that makes sure all families and children, wherever they live, have equal access to brilliant early education.

One that Britain can be proud of.