Originally published at The Bolton News
I’ve made it a priority to fight for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The system we inherited from the Conservatives has failed families in Bolton South and Walkden. This was made clear by parents at a roundtable I hosted recently.
We heard heartbreaking stories about children excluded, unsupported, and misunderstood. Parents spoke of schools unable or unwilling to meet their children’s needs, Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) ignored or denied, and a system so complex and adversarial that many simply give up. One parent described the EHCP process as “horrific.” Another shared how her son, after years of struggle, attempted suicide due to lack of support. These are not isolated cases. They reflect a national crisis.
Labour is committed to change. We’ve restructured the Department for Education to put SEND at its heart. We’ve invested £1 billion for children with severe learning needs and £740 million to expand specialist places. We’re improving speech and language support, access to music and sport, and inclusive teaching practices.
But we know that funding alone isn’t enough. We’re listening to families, professionals, and young people themselves. We’re pushing for accountability, proper training for teachers and Teaching Assistants, and a system where EHCPs are respected and enforced, not just paperwork.
We will never adopt the harmful rhetoric of Reform UK. Their leaders have dismissed SEND as “bad parenting” or “naughtiness.” Instead, Labour will build a system where every child can thrive.
I’ve written to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to share the voices of Bolton South and Walkden families directly. We won’t make false promises, but we will work tirelessly to deliver a system built on compassion, evidence, and lived experience.
Children in Bolton South and Walkden deserve better, and under Labour, they will get it.