For years, it felt like the British white working class had vanished from political conversations — as if they no longer existed or mattered.
But now, at last, the Labour Party is openly recognizing this group, thanks to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
She didn’t just mention them in passing — she put a spotlight on the struggles that white working-class children face in education today.
Phillipson admitted something that’s long been ignored: “White working-class children, and those with special educational needs, do exceptionally poorly.”
She called it out bluntly — these kids have been betrayed and left behind as society moves forward without them.
Shocking Education Statistics Reveal Deep Inequality
The numbers are grim. Department for Education data shows fewer than one in five white working-class kids achieve a Grade 5 or higher in GCSE English and maths.
Out of thousands of schools across England, only 21 manage to reach average attainment for these pupils.
It’s a stark failure across the board.
Phillipson hit the nail on the head when she said these children’s interests have been “discarded” by politicians of all stripes.
It’s not just a Labour failure — the previous Conservative government didn’t improve matters either.
When Michael Gove, the one Tory minister who really pushed for education reform, was removed, working-class kids were once again left behind.
A History of Broken Promises From Both Major Parties
Looking back, Tony Blair’s famous mantra of “Education, Education, Education” didn’t deliver for the working class either.
After ten years under Labour, only 42 percent of kids left school with five good GCSEs, and one in five still couldn’t read or write properly by the end of primary school. Truancy rates barely budged despite Blair’s promises.
This context shows how deep and systemic the problem is.
So Bridget Phillipson’s promise to create a task force specifically to tackle this “educational apartheid” is a positive step.
More importantly, she’s willing to say the words “white working class,” something politicians have avoided for too long.
Labour’s Struggle to Connect With Its Traditional Base
Meanwhile, Keir Starmer has been trying to figure out how to counter the rise of figures like Nigel Farage.
The truth is, Labour’s own failure to connect with the working-class voters who once formed its core is fueling this political shift.
Farage recently challenged Starmer to visit a working men’s club in a “Red Wall” area — those former Labour strongholds in mining towns and industrial communities.
Starmer is unlikely to accept, knowing that the views he’d hear there clash deeply with his party’s modern values.
The Disconnect Between Labour Leadership and Working-Class Realities
Many working-class people don’t share the current Labour leadership’s worldview.
Issues like immigration, national identity, and social values are often seen differently on the ground than they are in London or Davos.
To be fair, this estrangement isn’t entirely Starmer’s fault — it’s been decades in the making.
Labour and the wider left have slowly distanced themselves from their working-class roots, focusing more on middle-class liberal concerns than the day-to-day struggles of ordinary people.
The Political Consequences of Abandoning the Working Class
Back when I worked with the GMB union, I remember warning Blair’s team that working-class voters were drifting away.
Their reply? “They don’t have anywhere else to go.” That’s no longer true.
Since then, these voters have moved toward Brexit, then Boris Johnson’s Conservatives, and now parties like Reform.
Labour’s sudden rediscovery of the working class clearly has electoral motivations.
Bridget Phillipson herself grew up in a modest council house and understands educational inequality firsthand.
But the question remains: will Labour’s leadership genuinely commit to representing working-class Britain again?
What Labour Needs to Do to Win Back Working-Class Support
Critics sometimes accuse Starmer of stirring up old-fashioned class warfare.
But the reality is that the modern Labour Party has largely abandoned the working class, reducing class politics to little more than symbolism.
If Starmer is serious, Labour will need to take bold steps: reform immigration policy, tackle law and order with real solutions, stand firm on national identity, and address regional economic disparities.
This means going beyond symbolic gestures to genuine policy changes.
The True Test for Keir Starmer and Labour’s Future
Bridget Phillipson sees working-class children left behind in education — but it’s the entire working class that feels forgotten.
Whether Keir Starmer can put this community back in the political driver’s seat will likely decide not only his party’s future but also the shape of British politics for years to come.