Ghost children: Labour to force vote on creation of list of those not in school

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

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Labour is aiming to force a vote on the creation of a list of children out of school, as it seeks to shine a spotlight on the number of youngsters missing lessons under the current government.

Announcing their plans, the opposition party highlights that absences have reached “historic” levels since the Conservatives took power in 2010 – increasing by 40% since then.

The phenomenon has also become known as “ghost children”.

Severe absences – missing more than 50% of school days – have tripled since the same date.

Analysis by the party claims that one in three children sitting their GCSEs this year have missed nearly three months of secondary school since the pandemic.

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Labour says it wants council-maintained lists of children not on school rolls.

The party is planning on using an opposition day on Tuesday – when they get to choose the topic debated in the Commons – to propose the legislation be heard on Wednesday 7 February.

Opposition days tend to be political and can be easily defeated by the government if it needs to utilise its majority – although the debates can prove sticky if centred on a controversial topic, as seen by the fracking vote which precipitated the collapse of Liz Truss’s premiership.

Labour has highlighted the backing of ministers and Tory MPs previously leant to creating such registers or lists.

The illusive ‘ghost children’ register

Nick Martin

People and politics correspondent

@NickMartinSKY

Creating a register of children not in school has been talked about a lot, not just by political parties, but by local councils and schools whose job it is to make sure children attend class.

But to date, no such register exists. Proposals to legislate for a new national register were once part of the Government’s now-scrapped Schools Bill.

In December 2022, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told MPs on the Education Select Committee that a register for children not in school would remain a priority for the Government, but legislation to create a register has yet to be put forward.

Last summer, in an interview with Sky News, I asked Ms Keegan when the Government would re-introduce the idea.

She said: “I don’t have the exact answer because it’s a parliamentary process that we have to go through, but we do intend to put it on a statutory footing and we will do that as soon as as the parliamentary time allows.”

And since then there has been no progress on introducing one. The Department for Education has announced an additional 18 “attendance hubs” in England, which are run by schools with strong attendance records who share their expertise with schools that need help.

And a national communications campaign on the importance of attendance has also been launched to target parents and carers.

But Labour’s intervention on the issue could be significant and popular amongst those who have campaigned for registers.

And with an estimated 1.8 million children now persistently absent from school, missing more than 10 per cent of lessons, the problem is an urgent one.

The government had promised to introduce a register within the Schools Bill, which was announced under the then education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, in May 2022 when Boris Johnson was still prime minister.

However, the bill was scrapped in December of that year by Gillian Keegan, appointed to the schools brief by Rishi Sunak.

Mrs Keegan did tell the Commons’ Education Select Committee at the time that the concept of a register was “definitely a priority”.

Nick Gibb, who was schools minister at the time, told the same committee in July 2023 that the “register of children not in school is important, and we consulted on it”.

He added: “Again, we do not have a legislative vehicle to introduce it, but we are still committed to doing so.”

A similar bill was introduced by Conservative MP Flick Drummond last year, and was backed by nine other Conservatives, including former education secretary Sir Gavin Williamson.

The attempt by Ms Drummond did not even progress past a first reading in the Commons, with no vote taking place.

She has made a second attempt with her The Children Not in School (Registers, Support and Orders) Bill, which is set for a second reading and vote on 15 March.

A report from the children’s commissioner found children who were persistently absent for years 10 and 11 were half as likely to get five GCSEs when compared to students more often in attendance.

It is understood that the government is still working with councils on non-statutory registers.

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Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said: “Conservative MPs, including the current schools minister and two former schools ministers, claim to support the register of children not in school but yet again have failed to deliver.

“The secretary of state has said it is her priority to legislate on a register ‘in the very short term’: that is why Labour is giving her and her Conservative colleagues an opportunity to make good on her pledge.

“There is no time to waste if we are to tackle the biggest challenge currently facing our schools – that is why Labour’s motion is so essential, and represents the first step of our long-term plan to get to grips with persistent absence.

“Only Labour is demonstrating the kind of leadership on education which will break down the barriers to opportunity and deliver better life chances for our children.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “The government is committed to ensuring that all children, especially the most vulnerable in our society, are safe and have access to a suitable education.

“We remain committed to legislating to take forward the Children Not in School measures, and will progress these when the legislative timetable allows.”

Politics

Palestine Action can still challenge terror ban after government loses court appeal

Published

2 hours ago

October 17, 2025

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Palestine Action can still challenge terror ban after government loses court appeal

Palestine Action can still challenge the decision to ban the group under anti-terror laws after the government lost an appeal.

The group was “proscribed” in July, making it illegal to show any support or affiliation for it, following incidents that included breaking in to an RAF base.

The Home Office appealed after a court granted the group’s co-founder a judicial review and said the ban disproportionately interfered with freedom of speech and assembly.

It said the government should also have consulted the group first.

Despite the ban, nearly 900 supporters were arrested at a single protest in London last month.

The judicial review of the ban was scheduled to begin on 25 November and Friday’s Court of Appeal decision means it can still go ahead.

Palestine Action called it a “landmark victory” and said co-founder Huda Ammori had also been granted permission to appeal on two further grounds.

Reacting after the court’s decision, Ms Ammori called the ban “absurdly authoritarian” and “one of the most extreme attacks on civil liberties in recent British history”.

She said 2,000 people had been arrested since it was outlawed and arresting “peaceful protesters” under the Terrorism Act was a misuse of resources.

The group’s vandalising of aircraft at Brize Norton in June – with two activists reportedly entering on electric scooters – prompted a security review of UK defence sites.

Its supporters have carried out numerous protests in the UK, with many involving vandalism and violence.

Last year, it smashed windows and sprayed red paint on Barclays branches and this summer vandalised a Bristol defence technology firm, allegedly assaulting staff and police.

Multiple rallies for the group have taken place in London since July’s ban, with hundreds detained for showing support.

A protest at the start of this month saw another 492 people arrested despite calls for the event to be scrapped after the Manchester synagogue terror attack.

Politics

Here’s why Russia ranks highest in Europe for crypto adoption: Chainalysis

Published

3 hours ago

October 17, 2025

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Here’s why Russia ranks highest in Europe for crypto adoption: Chainalysis

Russia’s rapid DeFi expansion and increase in large-value transfers indicate growing adoption of crypto for financial services, according to Chainalysis.

Politics

Talks to find ‘way through’ Maccabi fans ban – as PM condemns ‘wrong decision’

Published

5 hours ago

October 17, 2025

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Talks to find 'way through' Maccabi fans ban - as PM condemns 'wrong decision'

Senior government figures are meeting today to “see if there’s a way through” a ban on Israeli fans attending a football match in Birmingham.

There has been political outcry after the city’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG) said it would not allow Maccabi Tel Aviv fans to attend the team’s away game against Aston Villa next month.

Politics latest: MPs condemn decision to ban Israeli fans from Birmingham match

The announcement, supported by West Midlands Police, was based partly on what happened in Amsterdam last year, when Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters attending a game against Ajax were caught up in attacks in the Dutch capital city.

However, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called it “the wrong decision”, while Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said it was a “national disgrace”.

Speaking to Sky News on Friday morning, science and technology minister Ian Murray revealed Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, is meeting with the Home Office in a bid to reverse the decision.

“It’s just completely and utterly unacceptable, and the prime minister has said we will do everything we possibly can to resolve this issue,” Mr Murray said.

“It’s an operational issue for the police, and government doesn’t get involved in operational issues for the police,” he said.

“But I know the Culture Secretary of State (Ms Nandy) will be meeting with the Home Office and other stakeholders today to try and see if there’s a way through this.”

West Midlands Police said it had classified the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture as high risk based on “current intelligence and previous incidents”.

The force said this included violent clashes and hate crime offences that occurred during the 2024 UEFA Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam, when more than 60 people were arrested.

Simon Foster, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, has called for an “immediate review” of the decision.

However, Andrew Fox, honorary president of Aston Villa Jewish Villans supporters’ club, said the decision to ban only fans of the Israeli side is “a political message rather than a safety message”.

The decision has provoked a political row with some independent MPs welcoming the ban but senior figures in Labour, the Tories, Reform UK and the Lib Dems condemning it.

Sir Keir criticised the ban on X last night, writing: “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate antisemitism on our streets.

“The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”

PM ‘lacks backbone’

However, Ms Badenoch said he “lacks the backbone to stand up for Britain”, and branded the decision a “national disgrace” last night and suggested the PM reverse it.

Richard Holden, the shadow transport minister, claimed “nobody believes this is an operational issue”.

He told Sky News: “There’s clearly political pressure being put on. It’s quite clear that there needs to be political leadership from the prime minister to ensure that this can’t go ahead.”

Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group is made up of officials from the local authority, emergency responders – including the police – and event organisers.

Ayoub Khan, the independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, who had called for the match to be cancelled, welcomed the decision.

He said in a statement that “with so much hostility around the match… it was right to take drastic measures”.

Later on BBC Newsnight, he said there were “vile chants of racism and hatred” at the Maccabi Tel Aviv match in Amsterdam last year and the prime minister should “stay out of operational matters”.

How have football clubs reacted?

UEFA, which runs the Europa League, urged UK authorities to make sure Maccabi Tel Aviv fans could attend the match.

Aston Villa said the decision followed safety concerns raised by officers.

They said in a statement: “Following a meeting this afternoon, the SAG has formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture.

“West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.

“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”

Jack Angelides, chief executive of Maccabi Tel Aviv, said he did not want to take security issues lightly but said the team has travelled to places such as Turkey where he said the sentiment is “not so kind towards Israeli teams” but the police “were out in force” and there were no incidents.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “So I do find it somewhat difficult to understand why this has come to pass in the sense that our fans cannot be secure in attending this match.

“And also begs the question a little bit to be honest – well, there is a delegation coming of management, of players, and all the supporting staff, are we saying that they will be secure also or that there are issues with them?”

He said he understood the reasons given for the ban and tries to avoid interfering in how other countries should behave.

“But I do think this is an extremely important moment because of what it signifies,” he added.

“I don’t use this term lightly but people ask ‘what does antisemitism look like?’ And it’s often manifested as part of a process, a process in other words small events – leading up to something that’s more sinister.”