Labour vows to support women who want to have more babies – as education spokesperson says they will build 3,000 new nurseries and help 750,000 more women return to work

Bridget Phillipson has said she wants to make it easier for women to have more children.

Labour’s education spokesman said economic conditions were preventing some families from having more babies.

She promised that her party would improve workers’ rights and build more housing to tackle the falling birth rate if they won the election.

It came as she unveiled plans for more than 3,000 new nurseries which Labor says will create 100,000 childcare places.

She said the plans would help an additional 750,000 women return to work – or increase their hours – after having children.

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson during a visit to Nursery Hill Primary School in Nuneaton

Ms Phillipson’s comments came as she announced Labour’s plan to create 3,300 new nurseries in primary schools by repurposing empty classrooms. Sir Keir holds a toddler in Nuneaton

Asked whether she wanted women to have more babies, Ms Phillipson told the Mail: ‘I would like young families to be able to make the choices that suit them when it comes to family size.

“I hear from many women across the country in particular that economic conditions are preventing them from making the choices they would like.” She said improving workers’ rights and building houses would help alleviate the difficulties families face.

“Part of that challenge is also the insecurities people face at work and the fact that many younger people cannot buy a home until much later in life.

“So our plan is about workplace safety, rights at work and also about building more homes so that homeownership can become a dream for younger people again.

“That will be a central part of how families can make choices.” She said the plans would help women back into work, saying many are “having to make choices they don’t want to make because there is simply no childcare available.”

Helping 750,000 women get back to work ‘would have a major impact on economic growth. The evidence is very clear on that,” she added.

Asked whether she wanted women to have more babies, Ms Phillipson told the Mail: ‘I would like young families to be able to make the choices that suit them when it comes to family size’

Ms Phillipson ruled out saying her children, who are state-educated, would not be able to attend private schools even if they had specialist needs

Asked how Labor would recruit teachers after figures showed as many were leaving as were joining the profession, she said they would ensure they felt “valued and appreciated”. “We would restore the professional status of teachers,” she said, adding that a review led by former Ofsted chief David Bell would “support” Labour’s plans.

However, she ruled out a pay rise for teachers, saying Labor would make “no commitments on pay” but would try to reduce workloads. She said: “Our plans for mental health support in schools and breakfast clubs would address some of the wider challenges [in schools].’

Ms Phillipson ruled out sending her state-educated children to private schools, even if they had specialist needs or were in an area lacking strong comprehensive schools. She also ruled out the use of private healthcare, echoing recent comments from Keir Starmer. Asked why Labour’s breakfast club policy would be open to all children and not means-tested, she said: ‘It is important that all children and families receive extra support at the start of the school day.’ She added that evidence showed it was a cost-effective policy that led to better school attendance and children did better academically.

Ms Phillipson’s comments came as she announced Labour’s plan to create 3,300 new nurseries in primary schools by repurposing empty classrooms.

The party said spare capacity resulting from falling birth rates would be used to meet childcare demand in underserved areas. It said the conversions will be paid for from revenues from adding VAT to private school fees.