Andy Burnham’s pick for education has, indeed, made her appointment memorable. Lucy Powell managed to celebrate in an X post full of grammatical errors, which were quickly picked up by Labour’s rivals.
‘Absolutely thrilled the be appointed Education Secretary. For me there’s no more important job for any government than making sure young people have the best education, the best opportunities and the best future they can. Lots to do and I look forward to getting started.’
The Conservatives responded by giving Powell a cheeky first report card, circling her mistakes in red. The most obvious was the conspicuous ‘the’—plainly meant to be ‘to’—but they also suggested several other grammatical improvements and awarded the post ‘3/10’. ‘See me after class!’ the reply concluded with a teacherly warning, accompanied by the caption ‘off to a flying start’.
While the reaction was cheap, vivid, and politically irresistible, the fact that the minister now responsible for literacy, school standards, and examinations had stumbled over the first sentence announcing her new job also opened the door to more serious questions about Powell’s educational philosophy and personal record.
Her previous criticism of England’s testing culture was swiftly revived. In a 2019 interview with Tes, Powell called primary-school spelling, punctuation, and grammar tests ‘ridiculous’ and complained that pupils could fail examinations after spelling only a few words incorrectly. She argued that the drive for rigour and accountability had gone too far, creating over-prescribed teaching and an atmosphere that could feel ‘draconian’ when combined with poverty and pressure on staff.
‘Probably the most serious criticism concerned her response to the grooming-gang scandal’
A separate controversy also emerged after the Financial Times reported that former Xaverian College pupils disputed Powell’s previous claim that she was the only student among approximately 2,000 in her year to enter Oxford University. At least three others were said to have gained places. Powell’s spokesperson said she had spoken from memory and was willing to be corrected, while the college said it no longer held records capable of settling the dispute.
Probably the most serious criticism concerned her response to the grooming-gang scandal. During a BBC Radio 4 interview in May 2025, she interrupted Reform commentator Tim Montgomerie as he raised a Channel 4 documentary about victims, saying: ‘Let’s get that dog whistle out.’ Survivors accused her of dismissing their experiences, Reform questioned whether she remained fit for office, and the Conservatives demanded her resignation. Powell initially said she had been attacking ‘political point-scoring’ before issuing a fuller apology in Parliament and telling victims she was ‘very sorry’ for the distress caused.
Powell brings a long Westminster record to the Department for Education, although her direct experience in the field has largely been gained in opposition. The Manchester Central MP, first elected in 2012, served as shadow Education Secretary in 2015–16 and later sat on the Commons Education Committee. She was Leader of the House of Commons under Keir Starmer before winning Labour’s deputy leadership in October 2025.
Her appointment nevertheless appears as much a reward for political loyalty as a judgement on departmental expertise. Powell is a long-standing Burnham ally who supported his return to Parliament, and her elevation placed another figure from the prime minister’s Manchester network near the centre of government.
After Starmer left 10 Downing Street, the Labour cabinet was significantly reshuffled, strengthening the impression that Burnham’s promised new beginning would be built through a mixture of restored veterans and political allies.
John Healey was appointed chancellor, Ed Miliband foreign secretary, Louise Haigh first secretary of state and Cabinet Office minister, Yvette Cooper health secretary, Angela Rayner housing secretary, and Wes Streeting defence secretary.
Shabana Mahmood remained at the Home Office, while Pat McFadden stayed at Work and Pensions and Miatta Fahnbulleh took over the energy brief. At the same time, prominent Starmer-era figures—including Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Darren Jones, Peter Kyle, Steve Reed, and Liz Kendall—were removed. The result is less a wholesale renewal of government than a transfer of authority between Labour factions, with familiar figures reorganized around Burnham’s own network of supporters.
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