Keir Starmer, the UK’s Labour leader, is facing some big political challenges. Despite growing criticism, he’s not planning to remove Energy Secretary Ed Miliband or Chancellor Rachel Reeves from their roles—at least not yet.
Many people in the Labour Party still support Miliband, even though his strong push for net zero policies is being blamed for helping Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party do well in recent elections. Starmer is hesitant to fire him because many grassroots supporters admire Miliband and view him as a man of integrity. Removing him could upset a large part of the party.
Rachel Reeves, on the other hand, isn’t as popular. She’s made several serious mistakes that have hurt the UK economy, but she’s closely aligned with Starmer politically. He seems determined to keep her in place for the full five-year term, which worries some observers.
While Miliband and Reeves are in the spotlight, there’s another minister causing concern—Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. She hasn’t received as much attention, but many believe her actions could be even more damaging in the long run.
Phillipson is changing key parts of the education system that have seen real improvements over the past two decades. England’s rankings in maths, reading, and science have all climbed significantly since reforms began in the 1990s. These reforms focused on stricter discipline and expanding academy schools.
But Phillipson is undoing many of those changes. She has reduced the power of Ofsted (the school inspectorate), cancelled new free schools, and made it harder for schools to remove disruptive students. She has even allowed teachers to work from home, a move many see as harmful to students’ education.
She’s also brought in Professor Becky Francis to lead curriculum reform. Francis wants education to focus more on social issues and less on academic achievement, which has raised alarm among those who believe schools should prioritise learning outcomes.
Now, there are reports that Starmer may demote Phillipson after she reportedly introduced a new schools policy without consulting Downing Street. The concern is that powerful teaching unions, especially under their new left-wing leader Daniel Kebede, are gaining more control. Kebede has called the education system “institutionally racist” and supports radical changes, including strike actions.
While Labour has officially denied the reports, many believe it would be a good move for Starmer to take action. If he doesn’t, he risks being blamed for falling education standards, damaging children’s futures, and hurting Labour’s chances in future elections.
It would also be wise for him to take a closer look at Ed Miliband’s role—but that might be asking too much for now.
