Lucy Powell 

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Latest news on Lucy Powell, Secretary of State for Education, covering schools, universities, and skills policy in the UK.

Lucy Powell is a Labour politician and the Member of Parliament for Manchester Central, appointed Secretary of State for Education as part of a cabinet reshuffle. She also serves as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, having won that role in 2025.

Powell takes charge of a department managing significant reforms across schools, further education, and universities, including changes to special educational needs provision and an overhaul of the curriculum and assessment system. Our feed tracks her statements, departmental announcements, and reaction from teaching unions and education sector bodies.

Powell has spoken about wanting to build parity between academic and technical education routes, reflecting a long-standing interest in comprehensive education and vocational training. Her rise to a senior cabinet role followed her election as Labour's deputy leader, a contest she won against a cabinet colleague.

First elected to Parliament in 2012, Powell previously served as Leader of the House of Commons and briefly as shadow education secretary, having held a range of shadow ministerial roles across culture, housing, and parliamentary business.

Stay up to date with our NewsNow feed on Lucy Powell, bringing together the latest headlines on her work as Education Secretary and her role as Labour's deputy leader.