Britain's Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson leaves after a cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Andy Burnham has appointed Bridget Phillipson as Labour Party chair a week after he confirmed the rest of his cabinet appointments. Phillipson served as the education secretary and minister for women and equalities in Keir Starmer’s cabinet but was stripped of the former when Burnham took over last Monday. The prime minister kept her on in his top team with the equalities brief while handing the education department to deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell in a major blow to Phillipson. The reason for the delayed announcement about her appointment as chair is unclear. The last Labour Party chair, Anna Turley, was moved to be an immigration minister in the Home Office by Burnham. In this role, Phillipson will work closely with the prime minister, the deputy Labour leader and chief whip Anneliese Midgley in what Labour has described as an effort to “embed a new culture” within the party. Burnham has pledged to end “factionalism” in Labour and make the party more united after the deep tensions that emerged in the last days of the Starmer government. Phillipson is seen as from a “Starmerite” wing of Labour, having been loyal to the former prime minister. She also ran unsuccessfully against Powell to be deputy Labour leader last year. The announcement alludes to this in the press release, saying: “The appointment reflects Andy Burnham’s commitment to drawing on the full breadth and depth of talent across the Labour Party as he builds one united team focused on changing Britain and delivering a second term Labour government.” Burnham said: “Bridget Phillipson, as party chair, will help drive the culture change our party needs, working alongside Lucy Powell and me to ensure Labour remains focused on delivering for working people. “She will play a vital role in ensuring the Labour Party is match fit for the next election. “I am delighted Bridget has accepted this role and I look forward to working closely with her on this vital task.” Phillipson said: “I am honoured to take on the role of Labour Party chair, working alongside our prime minister to put our Labour values and the voices of our movement at the heart of government. “By uniting together, we will bring hope back to communities and strengthen British society against those working to divide us. “With the change Labour in government is delivering and will deliver, we have the chance to write a new chapter for our country, one which brings justice, opportunity and fairness for working people, one which brings back hope that tomorrow can be better than today.” Powell said: “I look forward to working with Bridget as we build on the culture change in the party that Andy has made a priority. “Working together, we will ensure the party continues to lead the way in campaigning, with the strongest ground operation in British politics as we prepare for the next general election.” Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Bridget Phillipson Reignites Row Over Tory MP's 'Racist' Attack On Muslims Praying Badenoch And Phillipson Clash In Extraordinary Commons Bust-Up 'Is This A Joke?' Gemma Collins' Crossover With Bridget Phillipson Sparks Outrage