Bridget Phillipson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bridget Phillipson
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Secretary of State for Education | |
| Assumed office 5 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Gillian Keegan |
| Minister for Women and Equalities | |
| Assumed office 8 July 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Kemi Badenoch |
| Shadow Secretary of State for Education | |
| In office 29 November 2021 – 5 July 2024 |
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| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Kate Green |
| Succeeded by | Damian Hinds |
| Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 6 April 2020 – 29 November 2021 |
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| Leader | Keir Starmer |
| Preceded by | Peter Dowd |
| Succeeded by | Pat McFadden |
| Member of Parliament for Houghton and Sunderland South |
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| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 7,168 (17.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Bridget Maeve Phillipson
19 December 1983 Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | St Robert of Newminster Catholic School |
| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
Bridget Maeve Phillipson (born 19 December 1983) is a British politician. She is a member of the Labour Party. Since July 2024, she has been the Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities. She has also been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Houghton and Sunderland South since 2010.
Bridget Phillipson was born in Gateshead. She studied at the University of Oxford. Before becoming an MP, she worked in local government. She also worked as a manager at a charity called Wearside Women in Need. She joined the Labour Party when she was fifteen years old. In 2003, she was elected co-chair of the Oxford University Labour Club. She became an MP in the 2010 general election. She has been re-elected in every general election since then.
In 2020, Bridget Phillipson supported Keir Starmer to become the leader of the Labour Party. She then joined his team of shadow ministers. She was first the Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Later, she became the Shadow Education Secretary. After the Labour Party won the 2024 general election, she was appointed to her current roles. These roles are Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities.
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Early Life and Education
Bridget Phillipson was born on 19 December 1983 in Gateshead, England. She grew up in Washington. Her mother founded Wearside Women in Need, a charity that helps women.
As a child, Bridget took drama lessons. She even appeared as an extra on the children's TV show Byker Grove. She also learned to play the violin. She attended St Robert of Newminster Catholic School. After school, she went to the University of Oxford. She studied modern history and French at Hertford College. She finished her studies in 2005.
After university, she returned to the North East of England. She worked in local government for two years. Then, from 2007 to 2010, she worked as a manager at Wearside Women in Need.
Parliamentary Career
Becoming an MP
In 2009, Bridget Phillipson was chosen to be the Labour candidate for Houghton and Sunderland South. In the 2010 general election, she was elected as the MP for this area. She won with 50.3% of the votes.
After becoming an MP, she worked as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Jim Murphy. He was the shadow defence secretary at the time. From 2013 to 2015, she worked as an Opposition Whip in the House of Commons. This means she helped make sure Labour MPs voted in line with their party's plans.
She was also a member of several important committees in Parliament. These included the Home Affairs Committee and the Public Accounts Committee. These committees look closely at different areas of government work.
Re-elections and Key Campaigns
Bridget Phillipson was re-elected as MP for Houghton and Sunderland South in the 2015 general election. Her share of the vote increased to 55.1%.
During the 2016 Brexit referendum, she campaigned for the UK to remain in the European Union (EU). She was one of the first Labour MPs to ask for another public vote on any deal with the EU in 2018.
She was re-elected again in the 2017 and 2019 general elections. In the 2024 general election, she was re-elected once more.
Working in the Shadow Cabinet (2020–2024)
After Keir Starmer became Labour leader in 2020, Bridget Phillipson joined his team of shadow ministers. This team is called the Shadow Cabinet. Her first role was Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
In November 2021, she was given a new role. She became the Shadow Secretary of State for Education. In this job, she was in charge of developing Labour's education plans for England.
As Shadow Education Secretary, she suggested many changes. These included:
- Providing funded breakfast clubs for all primary school children in England.
- Changing how Ofsted inspects schools.
- Adding a tax (VAT) to private school fees to help fund more teachers in state schools.
- Reviewing the school curriculum to improve speaking and listening skills.
- Helping to keep teachers in their jobs.
- Making sure all young people get two weeks of work experience.
- Improving career advice and mental health support in schools.
She also talked about how important childcare is for families. She wanted a system that helps parents from when their baby is born until the end of primary school. She also said that a Labour government would not get rid of university tuition fees completely. She also wanted to improve skills training in England.
Secretary of State for Education (2024–present)
After the Labour Party won the 2024 general election, Bridget Phillipson was appointed to a top government job. On 5 July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer made her the Secretary of State for Education. On 8 July, she also became the Minister for Women and Equalities.
On 10 July 2024, she became a member of the Privy Council. This means she can use the title "The Right Honourable" for the rest of her life.
In October 2024, there was a discussion about adding VAT to private school fees. Bridget Phillipson shared her views on social media. She said that state schools need teachers and mental health support more than private schools need expensive stationery or new swimming pools. Some politicians disagreed with her comments.
Constituency Campaigns
Bridget Phillipson has worked hard on local issues in her area. She successfully campaigned for the rebuilding of Hetton School in Hetton-le-Hole. The original plans for rebuilding were cancelled in 2010. But thanks to her efforts, the school was rebuilt and reopened in 2016.
She also led a campaign to improve bus services in Tyne and Wear. She wanted a new system to make bus travel better and more affordable. However, the government review board did not allow this plan to go ahead.
Personal Life
Bridget Phillipson met her husband in Newcastle upon Tyne after she finished university. They have two sons. She is a Roman Catholic.
