EB / News / Policy / Labour beats Conservatives in landslide victory
Labour beats Conservatives in landslide victory
EB News: 05/07/2024 - 10:22
The Labour Party have won the general election, with Kier Starmer to take the role of prime minister from Rishi Sunak.
This is the biggest loss the Conservatives have ever faced in their history.
Keir Starmer has pledged to “repair our public services” under a “mission of national renewal to start to rebuild our country."
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: “Today’s election result represents an important moment not just for the country, but also for schools and school leaders. A change of government means a fresh start and new opportunities.
“School leaders have been clear about the scale of the crisis facing education and the new government will have a range of pressing priorities as it assumes power. More than anything, I call on this new government to restore education as a national priority.
In NAHT's manifesto, he said the union “identified a range of crises" that any incoming government would need to address.
"These include the current state of SEND provision, the major challenges with recruitment and retention and the dilapidated state of school buildings," he said.
Whiteman added that there is also an urgent need to address the broken accountability system and an ongoing funding crisis.
Meanwhile, former education secretary Gillian Keegan has lost her seat in Parliament.
The Liberal Democrats defeated the Conservative politician in Chichester by 25,540 votes to Keegan’s 13,368.
New data from the Youth Sport Trust’s annual Girls Active Survey has found that girls with multiple characteristics of inequality are being left behind in PE and school sport.
Nearly three-quarters of teachers (72%) say the current SEND system fails children, yet more than half (56%) expect anticipated reforms to negatively impact SEND pupils with complex needs.
Over a quarter of all schools and colleges across England are taking part in the free National Education Nature Park programme, which sees young people create nature-rich spaces on school sites.