Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life

Jonathan Brash Excerpts

Monday 7th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to draw attention to the shocking failure to support so many children growing up in poverty or going through the social care system. The outcomes are often tragic. That failure is inexplicable, given the trauma that many of those young people have experienced. We are bringing forward reform to children’s social care to make sure that all our children get the best start in life. The Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham East (Janet Daby), is leading that work; she brings her experience of social work to bear, so that we understand how we can do more.

I will be more than happy to meet my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent South (Dr Gardner) to discuss how we can go further, but her local authority will benefit shortly from extra investment around the development grant and wider funding across the spending review period.

[Mr Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) (Lab)]

I warmly welcome the roll-out of Best Start family hubs. They build on the legacy of Sure Start—one of the proudest achievements of the last Labour Government.

The Secretary of State may remember our visit to High Tunstall college of science when she last came to my constituency of Hartlepool. The head told us that he could pinpoint precisely the year group that had not had access to Sure Start, such were the additional challenges that those young people faced. Does the Secretary of State agree that the brilliant announcement today means an investment not only in our children and grandchildren, but in our wider society, and that it will ultimately save the taxpayer money?

[Bridget Phillipson]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right: as well as the real benefits to children and families, there are clear economic benefits. He describes what I have heard from so many school and college leaders and university vice principals across our country. They tell me, “If you can do one thing, invest in the early years—that’s where you will make the single biggest difference.” That is what this Labour Government are doing.