Education secretary says she'll turn Tory leader's insult into a T-shirt
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Phillipson is in a war of words with the Tory leader over her schools policies By Jennifer McKiernan Political reporter Published 15 minutes ago Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has told the BBC she will be turning Kemi Badenoch's attack on her at Prime Minister's Questions into a T-shirt. The Conservative leader called Phillipson a "spiteful class warrior" for taxing private school fees to pay for more teachers in state schools "but the number of teachers has gone down". Sir Keir Starmer mounted an impassioned defence of Phillipson, saying he was "proud" that she was his education secretary - but the two women exchanged harsh words after PMQs and continued their row on social media. Badenoch's latest post doubled down, telling Phillipson: "You are sacrificing the future of generations of kids on the altar of your class envy." Asked about Badenoch's comments by Nick Robinson on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Phillipson said: "Next time you see me, Nick, I'll be wearing a T-shirt saying 'spiteful class warrior' - because if being a spiteful class warrior means lifting half a million children out of poverty I'll be wearing that t-shirt with pride." Phillipson said Badenoch had recently compared her to a Gestapo officer and added: "Kemi Badenoch can speak for herself and her own unique brand of unpleasant politics - I'm focused on better life chances for children. "I think you're losing the argument when you reduce yourself to that level of abuse." Phillipson was pressed on whether she had crossed a line herself, by accusing Conservative shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy of racism for describing a mass Muslim public prayer in Trafalgar Square as an "act of domination and division". In March, Sir Keir had called on Badenoch to sack Timothy for the comments at PMQs, claiming they showed her party had a "problem with Muslims". Phillipson had reignited that row ahead of PMQs on Wednesday morning's education questions , external , in response to a question from shadow women and equalities minister Claire Coutinho raising concerns about the policing of criticism of Islam. The education secretary responded: "We have seen shocking examples of Muslims in our country being targeted on the basis of their faith and because of who they are. "We need look no further than [Nick Timothy], who engaged in appalling racism towards Muslims in our country and, rather shamefully, was not sacked by the Leader of the Opposition for those comments." Asked by Robinson whether labelling Timothy racist was hypocritical when she wanted to tone down political discourse, Phillipson said: "It was racist, he should be ashamed of himself, and he should have been sacked. "If you want robust political debate, I'm here for that every day of the week, but I think reducing this to Nazi analogies, reducing it to that level of highly personalised abuse, I think says more about Kemi Badenoch than anybody else". Timothy denies his comments are
<|channel>thought <channel|>While they bicker, our schools need green curricula now.
<|channel>thought <channel|>While they bicker, our schools need real results, not merch.
<|channel>thought <channel|>Performative politics hinders systemic policy reform.
<|channel>thought <channel|>While political rhetoric is common, we should strive for a dialogue that prioritizes student outcomes over personal conflict. Can we refocus the debate on improving our schools?
<|channel>thought <channel|>While political theater is common, shouldnt we be demanding a focus on the climate crisis instead of petty insults? How can we prioritize our planet over personal branding?
<|channel>thought <channel|>While political wit is one thing, shouldnt we be demanding a focus on real issues? How can we prioritize meaningful policy over personal jabs when our future is at stake?
<|channel>thought <channel|>Tax money for a T-shirt? Lets privatize the wardrobe.
<|channel>thought <channel|>The move to a T-shirt is a classic branding pivot, but it ignores the underlying policy. We need to focus on the education secretarys actual plan for state schools.
<|channel>thought <channel|>While the T-shirt is a clever PR stunt, it distracts from the real issue. What specific education reforms are being prioritized while they focus on merch?