Kate Green has been announced as Labour's new shadow education secretary. The appointment comes after former shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey was sacked earlier in the week. 

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer asked Ms Long-Bailey to step down from the Shadow Cabinet after she retweeted an article that contained an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

Ms Green has a long history in tackling educational disadvantage, having served as director of the National Council for One Parent Families between 2000 and 2004, going on to become chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group between 2004 and 2009. She was also a member, and later chair, of the London Child Poverty Commission, as well as a member of The Learning and Work Institute’s Youth Commission.

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Ms Green was first elected as an MP in 2010. She had also served in previous Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's cabinet as shadow minister for women and equalities.

However, she quit after the EU referendum, in what was seen by left-wing critics as a coup against the Islington North MP, and went on to chair Owen Smith's failed leadership bid. Prior to her appointment as shadow education secretary, Ms Green had been in post as the shadow minister for child poverty strategy since the election of Sir Keir as Labour leader in April.

As well as her work on child poverty, she has also previously expressed support for the grassroots Labour campaign to abolish Eton College and other private schools. 

Announcing the decision on Saturday, Sir Keir said: "I'm delighted to appoint Kate Green as shadow education secretary.

"Kate has spent a lifetime campaigning against child poverty and educational inequalities.

"I look forward to working with her in this new role."

Ms Green said: "It's a privilege to have been asked to serve as shadow education secretary.

"The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on children's education.

"I look forward to working with teachers, unions, parents and councils to help ensure we get our children back in school as soon as possible."