Ms Hodgson, MP for Washington and Sunderland, has been re-appointed to the role as part of a Labour party reshuffle following the general election. She replaces the former shadow childcare minister Alison McGovern, who is now Labour’s treasury minister.
Sharon Hodgson is also shadow women’s and equalities minister and chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on School Food.
She first came into the role of shadow minister for children and families in 2010 when she worked on issues including special educational needs, early intervention, childcare and school food. Ms Hodgson was also influential in getting The Special Educational Needs Act 2008 into law.
Commenting on her re-appointment, Ms Hodgson said, ‘I am absolutely thrilled to be back covering the children and families brief, as it is an area I am so passionate about and I very much enjoyed working on this brief in the last parliament. Obviously, it would be much better if it could have been in Government, but regardless of that, it’s an area I know lots of immensely talented people in, and I am already enjoying working with them once again.
‘Childcare is going to be a huge issue in this Parliament, as costs have skyrocketed, and the Government’s response, with the Childcare Bill, will need a lot of scrutiny to make sure parents and children get the best deal possible. This is something I am committed to getting right, and working with charities, experts and industry bodies I hope to learn everything I can to make sure we have properly thought through childcare policies that are in the best interest of the families who need them and will actually work in practice to make their lives better.
‘I know this is a big job, but it’s too important not to get right, and I am very happy to be the person taking on this challenge once again.’
