Lucy Powell's rise through the ranks to become Labour's shadow childcare and early years minister in leader Ed Miliband's early October reshuffle has been rapid by anyone's standards.
She only entered parliament in November last year after winning the Manchester Central by-election – the first female Labour MP for any Manchester constituency. She had previously managed Miliband's successful leadership campaign before going on to serve as his deputy chief of staff. Despite having the most powerful of party allies, it would perhaps be unfair to attribute her appointment, about which she was "thrilled to bits", solely to her links with the leader. But the post, previously occupied by Sharon Hodgson, is likely to catapult her from relative anonymity right into the political spotlight as the issue of childcare becomes a key electoral battleground in the run-up to May 2015.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
