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Sir Keir Starmer is set to launch a new body to tackle Britain’s “fragmented and broken”skills training system.
Speaking from Hampshire, the prime minister will unveil Skills England in a bid to ensure training provision is aligned with the needs of the economy.
The body, which was included in Labour’s manifesto, will also work with the Migration Advisory Committee in an effort to reduce reliance on workers from overseas by addressing areas where home-grown skills can be improved.
It comes as the PM paid tribute to Joe Biden’s “remarkable career” after the US president announced he would not be seeking a second term.
Despite the 81-year-old’s decision to stand down, Sir Keir vowed to work with him for the remainder of his presidency.
Speaking on the media round, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said she was “surprised” by Biden’s decision but claimed the government’s priority is to ensure the “strong” UK-US relationship continues.
Labour government could ‘consider’ scrapping the two-child benefit cap
Bridget Phillipson has been pressed to reveal whether the Labour government would scrap the two-child benefit cap after growing calls from inside and outside the party.
The education secretary refused to commit to lifting the cap but admitted it would be “considered”.
Ms Phillipson claimed she “believes very, very strongly” in reducing child poverty, adding: “That’s why I’m delighted to be leading with Liz Kendall, our work and pensions secretary, a taskforce across government to look at how we can bear down on those numbers.”
However, on scrapping the two-child benefit cap, she said: “This was not a policy that a Labour government introduced.
“We are aware of the evidence around this, and as part of the review that we will conduct in the coming months we will consider that as part of a number of ways in terms of how we can lift children out of poverty.”
The chancellor came under pressure over the limit, which prevents parents from claiming benefits for any third or subsequent child born after April 2017.
Scrapping the policy would lift an estimated 300,000 children out of poverty, according to the Child Poverty Action Group.
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Mel Stride considering running at the Tory leadership race
Shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride has announced he is considering running to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader.
The Tory MP has previously been tipped to enter the race in a bid the “unify” the party.
Speaking to Times Radio, the shadow minister said: “It’s something I’m considering. A number of colleagues have approached me and suggested that I might do that.
“We don’t yet, of course, know what the actual rules of the process will be, and I’ll want to wait to see that before I take a final decision. But it’s certainly a possibility.”
He added: “Well, my main motivation, as I sit here considering this, is that I care about my party and I care about my country, and I’m deeply disturbed at the fact that we have suffered one of our biggest electoral defeats.”
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Minister accuses Tories of ‘complete dereliction of duty’ over teacher pay rises
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has accused her Tory predecessor Gillian Keegan of “a complete dereliction of duty” for failing to act on the pay review body’s recommendations for months.
It comes as Rachel Reeves suggested the government could agree above-inflation pay rises for teachers and other public sector workers.
Ms Phillipson agreed with the chancellor that there is a cost to not settling pay disputes, telling Times Radio: “We saw industrial action previously under the last Conservative government and that had serious consequences because they didn’t take a responsible approach.
“What I’ve set out as education secretary is a different way of doing things, so working together with the brilliant workforce that’s across education because that’s how we will deliver better life chances for all of our children.
“But I do have to say, the last Conservative government and the previous education secretary received this report from the teachers’ review body, sat on it, called the election and disappeared off the scene.
“It was highly irresponsible, a complete dereliction of duty but it falls to us to set this right.”
Ms Phillipson said the Chancellor will present the Government’s response to the recommendations at the end of the month.
Education secretary ‘confident’ special UK-US relationship will continue
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said she was “surprised” by the US President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw as the Democratic candidate.
But claimed she is confident the UK’s relationship with the US will continue despite the election result.
Ms Phillipson told Sky News: “I think what we saw from Joe Biden was what we’ve seen throughout his life, he’s someone who has been a dedicated public servant.
“He wants to put the interests of the American people first, now there’s a process to go through, and what matters to us I think is the relationship between out two countries, our two people.”
Keir Starmer praises Biden’s ‘remarkable career’ after president quits race
Sir Keir praised Mr Biden’s “remarkable career” and vowed to work with him for the remainder of his presidency after the 81-year-old announced he would not be seeking a second term.
PM launches Skills England to tackle ‘fragmented and broken’ training system
The Prime Minister is to launch a new body on Monday to deal with Britain’s “fragmented and broken” skills training system.
To be called Skills England, the plan was included in Labour’s manifesto and is intended to ensure training provision is aligned with the needs of the economy.
It will bring together central and local government, businesses, trade unions and training providers to better understand the nation’s “skills gap”.
Skills England will also work with the Migration Advisory Committee to reduce reliance on workers from overseas by addressing areas where home-grown skills can be improved.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “Our skills system is in a mess, which is why we are transforming our approach to meet skills needs over the coming decades.
“They will help to deliver our number one mission as a Government, to kickstart economic growth, by opening up new opportunities for young people and enabling British businesses to recruit more home-grown talent.
“From construction to IT, healthcare to engineering, our success as a country depends on delivering highly skilled workforces for the long-term. Skills England will put in place the framework needed to achieve that goal while reducing our reliance on workers from overseas”.
Source: independent.co.uk
