UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Labour pledges £500m for 1,000 family hubs by 2026, aiming to entrench support so deeply it resists any future rollback by Reform or Conservatives.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has pledged that Labour’s new Sure Start-inspired initiative for deprived families will be so deeply rooted in the system, no Tory or Reform government will be able to dismantle it.
What did Bridget Phillipson say about making family hubs untouchable?
Bridget Phillipson described closing the education gap between rich and poor children as the government’s “moral mission.” She vowed to build on plans for a new network of family hubs, which will serve as a modern version of the Sure Start programme.
Ms Phillipson said the new centres should form part of a broader national support network for families. She argued the scheme must be so well established and popular that no government could risk dismantling it.
She called the family hubs plan a “watershed moment” for both public services and families.
The education secretary said,
“To make it a reality we will begin unprecedented collaboration between parents, councils, nurseries, childminders, schools and government, enmeshing family support, early education, and childcare so deeply that no rightwing government can ever unpick it, as the Tories did with Sure Start over 14 long years.”
She stated,
“We will ensure any such assault on the system will become the new third rail of British politics.”
Ms Phillipson cited her experience working with the first Sure Start centre in Washington, Tyne and Wear. At the time, she was running a shelter for women escaping domestic violence before entering politics.
She added,
“It was a lifeline for those women who, despite everything, were determined to give their children the very best start in life. The gap in achievement we see between our poorest and most affluent children at 16 is baked in before they even start school, creating a vicious cycle of lost life chances that’s all too visible in the shameful number of young people not earning or learning.”
During Sunday interviews, the education secretary reaffirmed Labour’s pledge to tackle child poverty. However, she warned that Downing Street’s recent welfare U-turn could hinder efforts to remove the two-child benefit limit.
How did Labour plan to fill the gap left by Sure Start cuts?
Sure Start, introduced by Labour in 1998, offered integrated services for children under five and their families. One study later found the programme’s benefits were so significant that it saved twice as much as it cost.
The Conservatives scrapped large parts of Sure Start during the years of austerity. Now, Labour plans to invest £500 million in opening 1,000 family centres, starting in April 2026.
Education Department’s views on nursery staffing levels
In a follow-up to its family hubs plan, the Department for Education revealed new support for deprived areas. It will offer payments to qualified early years teachers who take roles where they can have the greatest impact.
According to the department, only one in ten nurseries currently employ a qualified early years teacher. To boost recruitment in struggling communities, the government will offer a £4,500 tax-free payment to teachers working in the 20 most deprived areas.
Ofsted will check new early years centres within 18 months of opening. Follow-up inspections will take place every four years, replacing the current six-year cycle.
Key facts about the Sure Start programme
- At its peak in 2009–10, Sure Start ran 3,000+ centres with a £2.7bn budget, covering 30% of early years spending.
- Children living near centres were 2% more likely to get five good GCSEs.
- Sure Start cut hospital admissions by 8.5%, preventing 13,150 annual cases among 11–15-year-olds.
- Austerity led to the closure of 1,400+ centres (nearly 40%) between 2010 and 2025, mostly in poorer areas.