Stephen Morgan appointed as Minister for Early Education

Stephen Morgan appointed as Minister for Early Education 

Stephen Morgan has been appointed Minister for Early Education, stepping into a role crucial for shaping the future of early years education in the UK. Morgan, who has previously demonstrated a strong commitment to education, now faces significant challenges as he takes on this pivotal position. Morgan was first elected to Parliament as the MP for Portsmouth South in 2017. 

He previously held the role of shadow minister for education and schools where he challenged the Conservative government on various issues relating to early years education and childcare. These included the overall cost for families, steps taken to reduce provider closures, ways to increase the number of early education places, and how to ensure high-quality provision. Following this, he was appointed shadow minister of state for rail, a post he held until the recent general election. He joins 4 other ministers as part of Bridget Philipson’s, the Education Secretary, Department for Education ministerial team. 

One of the foremost issues Morgan must address is the ongoing decline in childcare providers and the requirement for an increase in places to accommodate the funded childcare expansion. Morgan has expressed his determination to address these challenges. His plans include creating thousands of new nursery places, investing in breakfast clubs in primary schools, and prioritising early education, but significant work lies ahead to overcome the sector's existing hurdles.