Labour ‘Can And Will’ Govern For 10 Years | Bridget Philipson

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:00]this it will take a decade. It will take a decade of a national renewal in order to deliver that. We were always clear that one parliamentary term would not be enough in order to do that. We were clear about that, you know, way back in in 2024. But of course, that means we've got to win the next general election by 2029 in order to deliver on that. And wherever we are at the moment, and it's not good, you know, I'm not going to hide from that. We've made some big mistakes. I am as convinced as I was in 2024 that Labour can and will win the next general election.

[00:00:30]>> There is the sound of trottting hooves in the background of a stalking horse uh as Katherine West uh begins her campaign warning the prime minister that his time is up and the cabinet need to rise.

[00:00:45]falling failing that tomorrow. She says that she's going to issue her own leadership challenge, although she will need 81 MPs uh to pull that off. As things stand, the prime minister is defiant, telling uh the Sunday Times, I'm not going to walk away from the job, and that he wants 10 more years in power. The big fix, wait for it, is to solve his problems, is apparently uh to bring back a former prime minister who failed to win an election in Gordon Brown and Harry Harmon, uh the uh former deputy Labour leader. You can hear cries of joy from the Labour benches about their return. Well, not really. Let's put that now to uh Bridget Phillips, the the education secretary. Uh hello to you.

[00:01:36]>> Hello. Good morning. Uh looking at uh these results, um do you expect to be an MP after the next election?

[00:01:47]>> The results are devastating. I'm not going to make any bones about it. It was we took a real kicking. Uh but an answer to your question, yes. Um because there is a clear fight uh between Labor and Reform in my seat. Uh reform took control of the council and I look forward to taking them on because, you know, they've just elected some pretty unsavory characters. uh into public office. One new counselor who said that Nigerians should be melted down to fill in potholes, who said some pretty disgusting things about women, another who shared anti-semitic tropes, and another who uh engaged in uh co vaccine conspiracy theories. So, I absolutely look forward to taking them on, taking the fight uh to reform and making the case what this Labour has government has delivered at the end of five years. But the problem is the voters probably knew that and they still supported them because they're fed up with Labor.

[00:02:40]>> Well, I don't I don't question that uh people are bitly disappointed and want Labor to do better. I mean, that was very much the message I got on the doors in Sunderland and across the country.

[00:02:53]But I also think and you just said at the at the start there, I heard you say that reform choose not to come on your program. They they dodge these issues.

[00:03:00]they dodge these questions and they don't face the scrutiny that they should. They put people forward to to represent uh my community either without properly checking who they are or they apparently think it's okay to hold those kinds of views and to represent a community like Sunderland. So, you know, I'm here for the fight with reform, but how we will beat them is by demonstrating that things are improving for people and that people feel a sense of the country moving in the right direction. And on that front, of course, there is absolutely much more we need to do. We we lost some, you know, brilliant people in those elections that we've just fought and I know people are really hurting.

[00:03:34]>> But you I mean you're launching a so-called mission for the northeast and for coastal areas where we know uh reform has been making gains in both those areas and frankly their economic decline has been fairly transparent for for a long time. I mean it's rather too little too late, isn't it?

[00:03:58]These are deep-seated challenges. You're absolutely right. And they are communities where in the northeast and and in the coastal towns where we're launching uh those missions in Hastings and Scarra, increasingly what we see is families and young people feeling that education isn't the route to a better life. They've lost hope in the value of education. And it's little wonder really because there are stark gaps in terms of outcomes for young people in those communities. when we know that young people in Sunderland or Scarbor or Hastings are just as talented as any other young people, but they have been let down over many, many years and that's what I'm determined to put right.

[00:04:34]That is the kind of ambitious agenda that we need for our country. And and I heard on the doors that people feel that, you know, Labour's had two years and there isn't enough to show for that.

[00:04:44]You know, I I could list off all of the achievements of this Labor government, and there are many, but people want to want to feel it faster and they want to see that real and tangible change. But some of the issues that we're grappling with are really deep rooted uh like those challenges around education in some communities. But I'm determined uh to turn it around. You know, we have a unique opportunity to do that and we have achieved a lot, but yes, I I totally believe that there is so much more to do. Do you agree with Karma that he needs and will have 10 more year or 10 years in power?

[00:05:20]>> So what Kia was saying was that as we've talked about in the past that and you've just talked about the challenges in terms of the complexity of what we face and the deep-seated nature of inequality in our country that this will take a decade. It will take a decade of national renewal in order to deliver that. We were always clear that one parliamentary term would not be enough in order to do that. We were clear about that, you know, way back in in 2024. But of course, that means we've got to win the next general election by 2029 in order to deliver on that. And wherever we are at the moment, and it's not good, you know, I'm not going to hide from that. We've made some big mistakes. I am as convinced as I was in 2024 that Labor can and will win the next general election. But in order to do that, we have to we have to tell a story that resonates with people.

[00:06:08]Listing our achievements is not sufficient. And when you see the scale of what we face, the perilous nature of our democracy of of politics in our country and the forces that we're up against in the shape of people like reform, then it's more important than ever that we demonstrate that politics can and will be a force for good in people's lives. That government can make change happen. when you know after decades people feel that they've voted and their community has gone backwards.

[00:06:35]>> But you say we uh that is the Labour party that is clearly your ambition. But I' I've got to put to you what what Josh Simons uh uh MP uh and former minister who's been very close to Karma has just told the Sunday Times he says that Karma has lost the country uh and must resign.

[00:06:56]um he he just simply doesn't believe that Karma is the right man to lead the Labour party into the next election or indeed to win the next election.

[00:07:10]>> I like and respect Josh tremendously, but I part company with him on this. I don't think the answer to the dubbing that we've just taken in the local elections in the elections across the country is to look inwards on ourselves.

[00:07:21]I think it is about how we actually deliver the change that people were promised in 2024, but they don't feel we've we've that has materialized. I I don't think the answer is leadership contest or a period of fighting amongst ourselves. I I don't think that is the message we should take from those elections.

[00:07:38]>> Looks like it's going to happen though one way or another, doesn't it?

[00:07:43]>> Well, I'm not convinced of that. No. No, I'm not convinced of that.

[00:07:46]>> Right. Okay. Well, let let's look at two things. First of all, let's look at Katherine West.

[00:07:51]uh who basically seems to be uh trying to assemble a grassroots movement amongst Labour MPs, if one can call it that, uh for a leadership election. Um whether or not she's successful, she is reflecting the mood of your party at the moment, isn't she?

[00:08:10]>> I mean, Katherine, I imagine, is hurting really badly. Um we all are. I am. It was We took a real kicking in those elections, and it does really hurt. And it hurts because we lost some brilliant people who had served their communities, had fought really hard, had done some fantastic things, who because of what's going on nationally, you know, they lost their seats or they were unsuccessful where they were standing. So I do recognize what Katherine's saying in terms of, you know, the sincerity of her of her view as to wanting Labor to succeed. I just do not agree that, you know, an extended period where we're talking amongst ourselves as a party rather than looking outwards to the country in a moment where we have, you know, a very unstable world. I'm glad that it's Karma who's leading our country at that time of global instability. And I think the last thing we need will be a leadership contest.

[00:09:02]>> Yeah. Well, he could just resign, couldn't he? And and you could um all decide that you wanted Andy Bernham like when you appointed Gordon Brown uh a few years ago. I mean, it wouldn't take forever, but it might give the country what it wanted.

[00:09:18]>> Look, I'm not going to get into talking about individuals. You know, we've there is not a contest. The prime minister is leading our country at a time of unparalleled challenge and it is not an easy job. It really isn't an easy job and I think people should really reflect reflect on that point.

[00:09:40]>> If and when uh there is a leadership uh contest um of course Kalma might be eligible to stand in it himself. Is it your view that Andy Bernham should be in that contest?

[00:09:55]>> That's a matter for him. It's not for me to comment on Andy's intentions. He's doing a brilliant job as mayor in Greater Manchester. I've worked with them really closely on on skills on send on how we give our all our young people the best start in life but there isn't a contest and Andy isn't a member of parliament and you know there was a general election in 2024 and you know Andy continued to serve as mayor in Greater Manchester. Yeah, I look I appreciate you don't want it, but people this morning are looking at the realities and it seems that basically the choice is between having a contest now in which presumably Angela Raina and West Streeting will be able to participate or having one in a few months time by which time uh it's assumed Andy Bernham will be eligible by having come back to Westminster.

[00:10:47]In those two unpleasant options for you, which one would you favor?

[00:10:57]>> You'll know me well enough to know that I'm not going to engage in speculation of that kind or hypotheticals.

[00:11:02]A lot of things would have to happen in order to get to the situation that you describe. And therefore, I'm afraid I'm just not going to be answering that question because I think it's a uh a false premise, frankly. Um were you pleased to see Gordon Brown and Harriet Harmon uh being the uh postavvoids of or poster children of uh Saki Star's fight back fight back.

[00:11:29]>> I'm always pleased to see them both.

[00:11:30]They're both fantastic people who've got a lot to contribute and I've wor really closely with Gordon in the last year or so on child I've worked really closely with Gordon the last year or so on child poverty. So and I really I've really valued his wisdom on that. So I'm sure he'll uh do a great job in supporting uh global efforts around finance as well.

[00:11:47]>> Now on the rights of women uh hasn't Harry Harmon just been given a job she was given last year. I mean last year she was special envoy for women and girls. Now uh she's adviser on women and girls. I mean you know it's not it's not exactly a dramatic development is it?

[00:12:07]So previously it was with with an international focus and now it's with both a focus on what happens internationally but also uh closer to home as well. And Harriet has a brilliant track record a long campaigning history on areas uh around supporting uh women and girls particularly around violence against women and girls and I'm sure she'll do a great role in in supporting Kia Star.

[00:12:27]>> Um I've got to ask you who's in charge on women's rights? I mean you're the equalities minister.

[00:12:33]Uh Jess Phillips is in charge of safeguarding violence against women and now we've got Harriet Harmon as the adviser on women and girls. Uh you know, are you in charge?

[00:12:47]Yes, I am. I'm the lead minister in government as a secretary of state uh responsible for all of that work across government uh on equalities uh on you know all of the challenges that we face around tackling violence against women and girls. But I'm really pleased to have a fantastic team of colleagues who support that work in various government departments including Jess and also great to have the support of Harriet too.

[00:13:09]>> And on trans rights, you all stand by the notion that a woman can have a penis and that those people can have uh access to safe spaces. Is that right?

[00:13:23]So I think the Supreme Court ruling has put this question beyond doubt and I welcome that clarity and I support it and I intend to lay very soon the code of practice uh from the EHRC that arises uh from that judgment that will set out the position uh to service providers.

[00:13:40]>> Okay. But um so within days now are we going to get that guidance at long last?

[00:13:50]I hope to lay it as soon as possible when parliament is returned after the king's speech. I set out a statement to parliament. Uh during the election period, I wasn't able to lay that during the election period because we had national elections. But once we're through that, yes, it's my intention to lay that code of practice uh as soon as possible once parliament is back.

[00:14:06]Subject to usual parliamentary process and having to agree a date for that. But yes, uh this month.

[00:14:11]>> And on that question of of whether a woman can have a penis, what's your answer?

[00:14:19]I think the Supreme Court was absolutely right that we're talking about biological sex here. You're speaking to a woman. I know what a woman is. That's not a problem.

[00:14:28]>> Okay. Um just one final question. You've come on this program a number of times uh defending the government's position.

[00:14:35]That's your job as a minister. Um is it a bit tiring for you?

[00:14:42]>> Uh no. I'll never tire of uh coming on your program or any other program to make the case with the Labor government, whether that's on the brilliant work we're doing to uh massively reduce the number of children growing up in poverty, the big changes we're driving in our schools to support children with SEN, the investment that's going in, uh greater rights at work for people.

[00:14:59]There's a big long list of things I could uh I could talk about. So I'll always happily come on and uh sing the praises and the virtues of this Labor government whilst as I've done today acknowledging that you know there are some big challenges and we've we've had a really difficult set of elections. So it's my responsibility both to you know front that responsibility. I'm a member of the cabinet that's a big privilege but also make the case uh for the change this Labor government is driving because we are doing some fantastic things and we've we've got to tell that story better.

[00:15:27]>> Bridget Ferson, education secretary.

[00:15:29]Thank you very much indeed.