A former president of the National Union of Students has been appointed as the shadow schools minister.
Wes Streeting, the Labour MP for Ilford North, replaces Margaret Greenwood, who resigned from the front bench yesterday to vote against the so-called “Spycops” bill.
Streeting, who was previously the shadow exchequer secretary to the Treasury, tweeted tonight that he was “absolutely thrilled” to be asked to take the role.
“Having grown up on a council estate, on free school meals, experiencing child poverty in the 1980s, I wouldn’t be where I am today without a great state education,” he said.
Streeting served as president of the NUS between 2008 and 2010, and subsequently worked as chief executive of the Helena Kennedy Foundation before briefly working for PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
He was elected to Redbridge council in 2010, and became its deputy leader in 2014. He was elected to Parliament in 2015.
This is really good news, Wes is a real advocate and will be a superb ambassador for high quality state education.