Member of Parliament
Bridget Phillipson
Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South
Minister for Women and Equalities·Secretary of State for Education
At a glanceBridget Phillipson is a Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, and has represented the seat for 16 years, 2 months. They currently serve as Minister for Women and Equalities. They have cast 242 votes in Commons divisions (42% attendance), tabled 2,061 written questions and registered 13 financial interests.
Attendance is votes cast as a share of the 575 Commons divisions since the 2024 election; Bridget Phillipson did not vote in 333. A rebellion is a vote against the way most of their own party voted; free votes, where no party line applies, are left out.
Party-loyalty figures are our own analysis of the official voting records (recorded votes only; they do not describe the formal whip). How we work this out.
Biography
She currently holds the Government posts of Secretary of State for Education, and Minister for Women and Equalities.
Current roles
- Minister for Women and Equalities Government post · Department for Education since 8 Jul 2024
- Secretary of State for Education Government post · Department for Education since 5 Jul 2024
- Houghton and Sunderland South Representation · Elected 1 time since 4 Jul 2024
- Labour Party since 6 May 2010
Voting record
Voting alignment
Votes most like
-
Sojan Joseph
Labour
100.0% · 240 of 240 shared votes
-
Liz Twist
Labour
100.0% · 234 of 234 shared votes
-
Douglas McAllister
Labour
100.0% · 230 of 230 shared votes
-
Sean Woodcock
Labour
100.0% · 230 of 230 shared votes
-
Ben Goldsborough
Labour
100.0% · 222 of 222 shared votes
Votes least like
-
Victoria Atkins
Conservative
0.0% · 0 of 134 shared votes
-
George Freeman
Conservative
0.7% · 1 of 147 shared votes
-
Sir Mel Stride
Conservative
0.8% · 1 of 127 shared votes
-
Kit Malthouse
Conservative
1.1% · 2 of 187 shared votes
-
Mark Garnier
Conservative
1.1% · 2 of 178 shared votes
Alignment figures are our own analysis of the official voting records (recorded votes only; they do not describe the formal whip). How we work this out.
Register of financial interests
From the official Register; shown as registered.
Donations and other support (including loans) for activities as an MP12
- Jim Murphy - £10,000.00 (registered 12 Nov 2025)
- 89Up Ltd - £1,500.00 (registered 31 Oct 2025)
- Baron Sainsbury of Turville (David Sainsbury ) - £20,000.00 (registered 28 Oct 2025)
- Fast Foster & Company Ltd - £2,000.00 (registered 28 Oct 2025)
- Francesca Perrin - £15,000.00 (registered 28 Oct 2025)
- Baron Sainsbury of Turville (David Sainsbury) - £20,000.00 (registered 28 Oct 2025)
- Labour First - £3,923.00 (registered 23 Oct 2025)
- Iain Simpson - £5,000.00 (registered 23 Oct 2025)
- Culture Quarter Ventures Ltd - £1,531.20 (registered 6 Oct 2025)
- 89up Ltd - £5,268.97 (registered 6 Oct 2025)
- Paul Callaghan - £4,000.00 (registered 6 Oct 2025)
- Paul Callaghan - £6,000.00 (registered 2 Oct 2025)
Miscellaneous1
- I am the beneficiary of the work of Bridget Phillipson Campaigns Ltd, which is a private company limited by guarantee without share capital. (registered 6 Oct 2025)
Written questions
Teachers: Pay
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to publish the 2024 School Teachers’ Review Body report.
Answer · 23 May 2024
The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) makes recommendations on the pay of teachers in England and reports to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister.As part of the normal process, the STRB...
Teachers: Pay
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to evaluate the recommendations of the 2024 School Teachers’ Review Body report.
Answer · 23 May 2024
The School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) makes recommendations on the pay of teachers in England and reports to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister.As part of the normal process, the STRB...
Childcare
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the likely proportionate change in childcare providers that are (a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) independent providers by September (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025.
Answer · 10 May 2024
The number of private, voluntary and independent providers that are registered on the Early Years Register as of 31 March 2023 was 22,691. The latest available data for December 2023 shows that the number of private, voluntary and independent providers th...
Childcare
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the (a) number and (b) percentage of (i) private, (ii) voluntary and (iii) independent childcare providers has changed since March 2023.
Answer · 10 May 2024
The number of private, voluntary and independent providers that are registered on the Early Years Register as of 31 March 2023 was 22,691. The latest available data for December 2023 shows that the number of private, voluntary and independent providers th...
Childcare: Staff
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of her policies on the childcare workforce.
Answer · 10 May 2024
In accordance with standard practice, new policies which have been introduced to support the early years workforce will be evaluated to understand their impact and effectiveness. This includes the recently announced national recruitment campaign and early...
Childcare and Pre-school Education: Staff
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to count the number of staff working in the early years and childcare sector.
Answer · 10 May 2024
The department collects information on the overall size of the workforce through its regular Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-and-early-years-providers-survey-2023. Th...
Childcare: Disadvantaged
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England, published on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to increase the
Answer · 7 May 2024
In 2010 there was only 12.5 hours of childcare support for some families with 3 and 4-year-olds. This government has already significantly expanded that support, to 30 hours free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds.The department is now goi...
Childcare: Disadvantaged
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Preparations to extend early years entitlements for working parents in England, published on 24 April 2024, what steps she is taking to increase the
Answer · 7 May 2024
In 2010 there was only 12.5 hours of childcare support for some families with 3 and 4-year-olds. This government has already significantly expanded that support, to 30 hours free childcare for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds.The department is now goi...
Speeches in the chamber
24 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
When Dr Hilary Cass published her review, we endorsed all those recommendations, as did the Conservatives. An important part of what Dr Cass set out was that it is essential that healthcare is available to children and young people who are…
24 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
South Wales police has paused its plans. It is right that it has done so. There are no blasphemy laws in this country, but it is right that we take action against hatred, prejudice and racism wherever we find it. We have seen shocking exam…
24 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
The hon. Gentleman raises two incredibly powerful and distressing cases. I share with him my sympathy for those affected, given all that they have been through and the harm that they have suffered. I am more than happy to discuss the matte…
24 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
The Equality Act 2010 is a monumental achievement, passed by the last Labour Government, that protects everyone from discrimination and harassment. The public sector equality duty makes our services fairer for everyone, and we are bolsteri…
24 Jun 2026 Child Poverty
I am proud of the last Labour Government’s record on tackling child poverty, but this Labour Government are going even further. We will lift the largest ever number of children out of poverty in a single Parliament, in sharp contrast with …
24 Jun 2026 Child Poverty
I completely agree with my hon. Friend. The joy of reading should be open to every child, and that is really important in this National Year of Reading. Local libraries are special places, and Reform should be investing in our libraries, s…
24 Jun 2026 Child Poverty
Tackling child poverty is a moral mission for this Labour Government. Background should not determine what people go on to achieve in life, but we know that inequality and poverty hold back too many of our children. We are improving the li…
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
My hon. Friend is right to identify this issue. She has long argued in the House that we need both to manage declines in pupil numbers and to create more social and affordable housing for people including her constituents. There are a numb…
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
I am happy to extend my congratulations to Mr Bhatti and the brilliant team at Town Farm primary school, and I hope that all the pupils had a wonderful visit to Parliament. This is an opportunity that we, as Members of Parliament, can enco…
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
Many colleagues in the region with local schools served by the trust have raised similar concerns, and I would be more than happy to ensure that my hon. Friend and any other interested Members of Parliament can meet to discuss the issue fu…
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
I have just described the action that we are taking. This is extremely serious, and it was an urgent priority for the incoming Government to update legislation to ensure that we do everything in our power to keep children safe. I have desc…
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
I am grateful to the Chair of the Select Committee for raising this shocking case. Our thoughts must be with all those who loved and knew Preston, and it is right that the evil abusers who committed those sickening and shocking crimes are …
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
We recognise the need to make sure that, as we refurbish and rebuild schools across our country, they are well placed to cope with some of the fluctuations in temperature we are seeing, including the hot weather we are experiencing at the …
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
Since coming into government, we have reformed the regulator to make sure there is a sharper focus on financial sustainability, and there is a new chair who is taking that work forward. The case that the hon. Member refers to covered many …
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
I agree with my hon. Friend. Campaigners have shown remarkable courage, bravery and persistence in bringing this shameful period in our country’s history out of the shadows. Their voices have been central in ensuring that that history is r…
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
The right hon. Lady left behind a pay award and zero funding to pay for it. One of the first things that I did as Secretary of State was to deliver that award in full and fully funded; when she was a Treasury Minister, she was totally dere…
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
It is a funny old world in which the right hon. Lady prays in aid the National Education Union, but there we are. I am proud of the action that this Labour Government are taking on pay and workload and in addressing all the many challen…
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
That is exactly our intention. The plans on which we are consulting represent the first time in over a decade that this has been properly looked at, to ensure that when our children are at school, the food is of the highest quality and it …
22 Jun 2026 Topical Questions
The safety of our youngest children is of the utmost priority to this Government. Early years settings should be places where children receive the best start in life, and where they are safe and happy. That is why we will provide Ofsted wi…
22 Jun 2026 Antisemitism on University Campuses
I recognise the very real issue that the hon. Gentleman identifies, and I think there is a commitment across the House to tackling antisemitism in all its forms wherever it arises. But there is a fundamental point of misunderstanding here…
Source: contributions on parliament.uk.
Full parliamentary career
Opposition posts
- Shadow Secretary of State for Education · Department for Education 29 Nov 2021 – 30 May 2024
- Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury · HM Treasury 6 Apr 2020 – 29 Nov 2021
- Opposition Whip (Commons) · Whips Office (Commons) 7 Oct 2013 – 18 Sep 2015
Committee memberships
- Public Accounts Committee 2 Mar 2020 – 21 Sep 2020
- Committee of Privileges 2 Mar 2020 – 13 May 2020
- Committee on Standards 2 Mar 2020 – 13 May 2020
- Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 21 Jan 2020 – 11 May 2020
- European Statutory Instruments Committee 18 Jul 2018 – 6 Nov 2019
- Committee of Privileges 26 Oct 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- Committee on Standards 26 Oct 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- Public Accounts Committee 11 Sep 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 10 Jul 2017 – 6 Nov 2019
- Public Accounts Committee 26 Oct 2015 – 3 May 2017
- Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 11 Oct 2010 – 3 May 2017
- Home Affairs Committee 12 Jul 2010 – 4 Nov 2013
- Procedure Committee 26 Jul 2010 – 11 Oct 2011
Previous seats
- Houghton and Sunderland South · Elected 4 times 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024
Expenses
Contact & offices
020 7219 7087
Parliamentary office
House of Commons, SW1A 0AA
Constituency office
106 Newbottle Street, Houghton, DH4 4AJ
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Bridget Phillipson, answered from official Parliament data.
Who is Bridget Phillipson?
Bridget Phillipson is a Member of Parliament representing Houghton and Sunderland South in the House of Commons. See Bridget Phillipson's official Parliament profile.
Which party does Bridget Phillipson represent?
Bridget Phillipson sits as Labour. See Bridget Phillipson's official Parliament profile.
Which constituency does Bridget Phillipson represent?
Bridget Phillipson is the Member of Parliament for Houghton and Sunderland South. See Bridget Phillipson's official Parliament profile.
How long has Bridget Phillipson been an MP?
Bridget Phillipson has served in the House of Commons for 16 years, 2 months. See Bridget Phillipson's official Parliament profile.
What registered interests are listed for Bridget Phillipson?
Bridget Phillipson has 13 entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. See Bridget Phillipson's official Parliament profile.
Source: this MP's official Parliament profile. Last updated 26 Jul 2026.