What SEND Reforms Are Expected and Labour MPs’ Stance
The UK government is set to announce a comprehensive overhaul of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system on Monday through a schools white paper. The proposed reforms aim to raise the eligibility threshold for children to qualify for an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which legally entitles children with SEND to receive support. EHCPs will be reserved for children with the most severe and complex needs, while new provisions will offer additional support and legal rights to children on lower tiers.
Sources familiar with the proposed system indicated that parents will retain legal avenues for appeals under existing equalities legislation and through tribunals.
This SEND system reform is regarded as one of the most significant policy changes the government has undertaken since welfare reforms, which were previously abandoned due to opposition from Labour backbenchers. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has led a year-long campaign engaging hundreds of MPs, many of whom acknowledge the necessity for change.
However, some government officials express concern that Labour MPs might oppose the plans in the upcoming parliamentary session if there is substantial parental opposition.
Phillipson has assured that children with SEND will "always have a legal right to support," and that Labour intends to "not just protect but improve that support." According to sources, the current system is broken, and if legislation passes, children currently in year 2 with an EHCP will be reassessed by schools to determine whether they should remain on an EHCP or if their needs can be met through more flexible means.
You can read the full story by my colleagues Alexandra Topping and Richard Adams here.
Interview with Boris Johnson and Adm Sir Tony Radakin on Ukraine Invasion
In other news, former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson was interviewed by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Friday, alongside former head of the armed forces Admiral Sir Tony Radakin. Both were in their respective positions when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The interview was broadcast in full this morning.
Radakin described receiving the early-morning call on 24 February 2022 as "almost like a relief" because it had been "really clear" that Moscow was going to invade, and confirmation allowed the UK to begin responding.
Johnson remarked on a "weird sense" among some countries at the Munich Security Conference (18-20 February 2022) that it might be better from a "humanitarian perspective" for Ukraine to "fold" so that the war would end "rapidly," a position he described as "completely alien" to his thinking.
Johnson said his first call was to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him,
"I said to him look the key thing is that you protect yourself. And you are the focus of resistance. If you go then it will be a disaster for Ukraine."
Radakin noted it was "always up for debate" whether "Kyiv would fall within days." Johnson agreed that the UK and its Western allies were naive and enabled the full-scale invasion by allowing Russia to annex Crimea in 2014, a move widely regarded as illegal. He called the West’s failure to respond "tragic," emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Johnson stated,
"We could have solved this problem if we had been clear about what Ukraine was. We continually said to them you can join Nato and you are on the path to the west. But we never made good that promise. I think if we had clarity and simplicity about Ukraine, rather than endless fudge and obscurity, we could have prevented that invasion."
Radakin expressed that Ukraine likely finds the West’s military and financial response to the war—often perceived as sluggish—as "incrementalism" and "deeply frustrating." Johnson advocated for deploying non-combat troops to Ukraine immediately in non-fighting roles to "flip a switch" in Putin’s mind.
He said,
"There is no logical reason that I could see why we shouldn’t send some peaceful ground forces there to show our constitutional support for a free, independent Ukraine."For context, Britain and France reportedly were ready to deploy troops to Ukraine following a peace deal.
Gordon Brown Calls for Investigation into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Use of Taxpayer-Funded Jets
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has written to six police forces requesting investigations into whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases during his tenure as trade envoy to meet with Jeffrey Epstein.
Brown’s letters, sent this week to police in London, Surrey, Sussex, Thames Valley, Norfolk, and Bedfordshire, reportedly suggest that civil servants be questioned about Andrew’s trade envoy role from 2001 to 2011, a period during which the former prince had privileged access to government and business contacts.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Brown’s letters reflect concerns that Andrew may have used chartered RAF flights for personal engagements potentially involving Epstein and may have leaked confidential information from these trips.
Brown is seeking interviews with officials from the Ministry of Defence, Department for Transport, Foreign Office, and Treasury regarding Andrew’s trade envoy activities. The report’s contents have not been independently verified. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.
Searches are expected to continue today at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence, Royal Lodge in Windsor, amid growing calls for a probe into his links with Jeffrey Epstein.
Lucy Hough discusses with ’s police and crime correspondent Vikram Dodd what could be next for Andrew.
Reform UK Supports Removing Andrew from Line of Succession if Legislation Is Proposed
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s new economy spokesperson, stated his party would support legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the royal line of succession.
Speaking to , Jenrick said,
"If the government bring forward this bill with the support of the King then we will back it. We have to be realistic. Andrew is the eighth in line to the throne, so there’s no chance of him becoming our monarch.
And so parliament really should be focused on things that are of more importance to the public, whether that’s the economy, crime, the health service, immigration. But if the bill does come before parliament, then we’ll support it.
My main feeling today… emotion is sadness, really for the King and the royal family because they’ve been let down so badly as, of course, have the victims of Jeffrey Epstein.
The King serves this country extremely well and Andrew has disgraced the royal family, and he’s disgraced our country in the process. And whatever happens, whether he’s ultimately prosecuted or not, he should now just go off, lead a private life and allow the King and the rest of the royal family to continue doing the good job that they do do for us."
Education Secretary Affirms "No One Is Above the Law" Amid Andrew Investigation
During an interview, Trevor Phillips asked Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson if the government would consider an "independent, judge-led inquiry." Phillipson responded,
"We’ll look at any sensible proposals that do come forward. But it’s premature at the moment because we do have the police doing their work.
They need to have the time and space to do so. As the king set out, no one is above the law, and it’s right that the police go wherever the evidence takes them. So that has to be the focus at the moment."
King Charles stated on Thursday that "the law must take its course" following the unprecedented arrest of his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Charles said,
"What now follows is the full, fair and proper process by which this issue is investigated in the appropriate manner and by the appropriate authorities. In this, as I have said before, they have our full and wholehearted support and cooperation."Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.
Ministers Keep Options Open on Andrew’s Status, Education Secretary Says
The government is considering legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles’s brother, from the royal line of succession.
Andrew was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office and was taken to Aylsham police station in Norfolk for questioning about allegations of sharing confidential material with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Despite losing his title last year, Andrew remains eighth in line to the throne. Removing him would require an act of parliament.
When asked by ’ Trevor Phillips about the timeline for draft legislation excluding Andrew from succession, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said,
"So we’re not ruling anything out around this. But we have obviously got a live police investigation under way, so we’ll not be setting out further steps until the police have been able to do their work. And wherever that investigation, wherever the evidence takes them."
Regarding whether the government advises King Charles to remove Andrew from the privy council, Phillipson stated,
"So we’ve said that we have to keep all of these options available to us, but you’ll appreciate that because we have a live police investigation under way it’s right that the police are allowed to do their job. Once that is concluded, then of course we’ll consider in discussion with the royal family, with the King what further action is needed.
But I do just think as well, in all of this, we really shouldn’t lose sight of where this began. And where this began was with young women and girls being exploited over an extended period of time by a network of very powerful men. And we can’t ever forget that."
Shadow Education Secretary Warns Parents Over Potential Reassessment of SEND Support
Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott told the BBC that the Conservatives would oppose any withdrawal of special educational needs (SEND) support following reassessments of children’s needs.
She said,
"I think that we want to be really constructive where it comes to this. But I do have some big concerns about what is being floated. Obviously, we’ll see the detail tomorrow. But for too many parents … they’ve had to fight for the support and the idea that they’re going to be reassessed will be genuinely frightening. And I do worry about that …
It has been way too hard for many parents to get that support. But once that support is in place for many young people that has actually been very effective. So it’s important that that is not taken away.
And the stress that this system has meant for so many parents up and down the country, they’ve been worried for about a year now because there was a leak that EHCP’s were going to be taken away. Now we’ve got the education secretary on here saying that they might be reviewed. I mean, it’s just too much for parents. They need to just take away this anxiety. And we would absolutely oppose any support being withdrawn."
As reported, a key element of the government’s school reforms will be reducing the reliance of children with SEND on education, health and care plans (EHCPs), which are legal documents that guarantee support for children and young adults up to age 25. Councils and charities providing SEND support face challenges with staffing and funding amid rising demand.
Provision across the country is inconsistent, with some parents engaging in lengthy tribunals to secure appropriate support. Concerns have been raised about plans to reassess children holding EHCPs under stricter criteria.
Speaking to BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on her Sunday politics programme, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson stated that SEND reforms will "transform support for children and families."
Phillipson was questioned about whether any child currently receiving support would lose it under the reforms to be detailed in the white paper.
She replied,
"We are not going to be taking away effective support from children, and what I’ll be setting out tomorrow is a decade long, very careful transition from the system that we have, which everyone recognises isn’t working."
Kuenssberg challenged the term "effective support," noting it does not guarantee that no child will lose support, a concern among parents. Phillipson explained,
"Children will be reviewed in terms of their needs assessed. That should be happening at the moment. We’re meant to have a system where every year an EHCP is reviewed. That doesn’t always happen, and where it does, it doesn’t always work well.
But what parents will see when we set out our vision tomorrow is a system where if, for example, your child needs speech and language support, the school will be better able to provide that than is the case right now."
Education Secretary Addresses Student Loan Concerns Amid Rising Costs
Phillipson was also asked about the increasing burden of student loans, particularly following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision last November to freeze the repayment threshold for "plan 2" student loans for three years.
Reeves announced that the salary threshold for plan 2 repayments would be frozen at £29,385 starting next April, meaning borrowers will repay more as their salaries increase.
Plan 2 loans apply to students from England who started university between September 2012 and July 2023, and Welsh students who started since September 2012. The current repayment threshold is £28,470 per year.
Interest on these loans is charged at the rate of retail price index (RPI) inflation plus up to 3%, depending on graduate earnings. The Conservative Party, which introduced the loans during the coalition government, has promised to limit the interest rate to RPI, increasing pressure on the Treasury.
Phillipson acknowledged the issue, stating,
"Now I get the problem. I see the issue. In reality, as a government, you have to look at a question of priorities and what you can do and how fast you can do it. Given the shape of what we have in the public finances, this is really hard."
She added that maintenance grants are being introduced for less well-off students and that the repayment threshold will increase this year before being frozen in subsequent years.
Parents to Receive SEND Support Within Weeks, Not Months or Years, Education Secretary Promises
Bridget Phillipson was questioned about the government’s school reforms concerning children with SEND in England.
Trevor Phillips noted that there are 1.7 million children with special educational needs, nearly 500,000 of whom are school pupils. He observed that the proportion of children with EHCPs has been increasing and asked Phillipson to explain why.
Phillipson responded,
"Part of what we’ve seen is that support for children with SEND has been treated almost as an entirely separate issue, rather than it being integral to our school system. Lots of children at some point during their school lives will experience some form of challenge, will need extra support.
But the system that we have at the moment… is one that has made it the case that in order to get the support that children need, parents have to fight really hard to get that education, health and care plan. I’ve heard from so many parents just how difficult, how devastating that has been. It can take years. It’s really adversarial."
When pressed on whether the government promises that an EHCP determination will be delivered within weeks rather than months or years, Phillipson said,
"Yes. We will make sure that children get support much, much more quickly than is the case right now. And the commitment that I give to parents is that when they see all of the documents published tomorrow what they will see is a government that is focused on delivering better outcomes for their children. I am fiercely ambitious for every child in our country."
Phillipson later confirmed that the timeline will become "a question of weeks, not a question of months and years." Currently, many EHCPs are issued by local authorities beyond the ...
