Election latest: Tories and Labour fall in post-D-Day poll – as Lib Dem leader flies high

Sir Keir Starmer and his shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson were at a school today to launch one of Labour’s key retail offers of the campaign – 100,000 new nursery places.

By repurposing 3,000 “surplus” primary school classrooms, particularly in disadvantaged areas where childcare demand is not being met, they say it will help parents into work, and ease children into life at school.

‘We will deliver’

Speaking to Sky News, Sir Keir clarified for the first time that the scheme announced by Jeremy Hunt to expand the 30 “free” childcare hours to all pre-school children from age nine months would be honoured by Labour.

Asked if he would deliver it, he said: “Yes, we will deliver. Our plan is actually better than the government’s… they haven’t planned for it, and therefore they haven’t got the spaces for it.

“But of course we want to complete on the government’s plan, but actually do it in a way that’s planned and deliverable.”

This is a change of tune, after Labour had claimed they would pursue a different system. Ms Phillipson called it a “shoddy plan” back in February.

This expansion has been rolled out only in part – with nine-month-olds due to receive 15 subsidised hours from September, in what the childcare sector says will be an enormous challenge to fund and staff.

Nurseries have been warning they will be driven out of business, which could exacerbate pressures.

Delivering it will be an enormous staffing challenge – with the government’s figures showing 40,000 extra people would be needed.

Getting it right could be key to economic growth and closing the attainment gap between the most and least advantaged children. 

But the workforce and infrastructure needed to make it happen will require major investment.