Under plans set out in the party's manifesto earlier this month, Labour wants to extend 30-hour childcare to more children by eliminating means testing for two-year-olds and no longer restricting provision for three- and four-year-olds to children whose parents are working.
The party's shadow education secretary Angela Rayner today said the policy will cost £4.8bn a year, as well as £2.7bn of capital spending to create more childcare places and train staff.
Meanwhile £500m will be set aside to protect children's centres from further cuts.
Currently, all three- and four-year-olds are eligible for 15 hours of free early education each week, which will be extended to 30 hours for working parents from September. About 40 per cent of two-year-olds are currently entitled to 15 hours of free childcare a week.
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