Lucy Powell has been appointed as education secretary in the cabinet reshuffle by new prime minister Andy Burnham on 20 July.
She will be replacing Bridget Phillipson, who will remain a full member of cabinet as minister for women and equalities.
Lucy Powell was previously Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons between 5 July 2024 and 5 September 2025.
She is also the MP for Manchester Central, a post she's had since July 2024.
She commented on social media that she was "absolutely thrilled" to be appointed Education Secretary. She said: "For me there’s no more important job for any government than making sure young people have the best education, the best opportunities and the best future they can."
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, congratulated Lucy Powell on her appointment as Education Secretary and warned that the country needs the new government to commit to going further in ensuring schools are empowered and supported to deliver for pupils. He said: “Too many schools feel ill-equipped to go about their core business, let alone deliver changes to SEND support and the curriculum. They are still struggling to set budgets and recruit and retain teachers, large parts of the school estate remain in a poor condition, and a circuit-breaker to fundamentally reset Ofsted inspections, which continue to pose real dangers to the health and wellbeing of school leaders and their staff, is urgently needed.
“Addressing these things will need the buy-in of not just the education secretary but also the new PM and Chancellor. Amid so many competing demands, it’s absolutely vital that education is a top priority across government and receives the sustained investment it deserves, because little can be more important than children’s learning, wellbeing and life chances.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “We welcome Lucy Powell to the role of Education Secretary. She will face a major challenge in better matching the many expectations on schools and colleges with the resources necessary to deliver those expectations, as well as addressing the impact of an accountability system which is driving people out of the profession and damaging mental health and wellbeing. It also seems likely that she will have the task of implementing a new direction in education policy.
“Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that a ‘complete rethink’ of education is needed which builds parity between academic and technical routes and provides every young person with great opportunities. This is particularly important as we currently have one million young people who are not in education, employment, or training. However, a great deal of policy detail is needed about how to turn those aspirations into reality. School and college leaders are absolutely ready and willing to be part of that process and we look forward to working with the new administration to shape a fairer future.”
In tribute to Brigette Phillipson, Pepe Di’Iasio said: “We’re sorry to see Bridget Phillipson leave the role of Education Secretary. She has sought to work constructively with the education sector and has championed policies designed to support children who face the greatest challenges. Those priorities reflect the values of school and college leaders who are striving every day to create a fairer society where opportunities are available to all and are not limited by background. In particular, she deserves credit for her work on tackling the appallingly high level of child poverty in the UK, and for bringing forward plans to improve support for children with special educational needs. While there are many challenges in delivering those plans, she has started a process which is long overdue in making the system work better for everyone involved."
Paul Whiteman added: "It is clear that during Bridget Phillipson’s time at the helm of the Department for Education, considerable progress has been made.
“The education White Paper set a vision for education that we have not seen for well over a decade, and there has been some new funding for schools, improvements to pay, action on poverty, and a commitment to finally grasping the nettle and reforming the broken SEND system.
“Bridget has shown passion and commitment to schools, and while we thank her for her endeavours, we need the new government to commit to going further in ensuring schools are empowered and supported to deliver for pupils."
