Bridget Phillipson's family made 900% profit on council home as Education Secretary at centre of new 'class war'

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is the focus of a new class war row over Government plans to reduce the ability for tenants to buy their council house despite her own family making a 900 per cent profit on their house. Ms Phillipson's family made the most of the right-to-buy scheme to purchase the council house she grew up, later to sell it on at a 900 per cent markup. However, Labour are now aiming to slim down the scheme significantly. The move has sparked criticism politicians such as the Education Secretary are pulling up the drawbridge after taking advantage of the policy themselves, the Daily Mail reports. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The Conservatives claim the legislation, which is currently making its way through Parliament, is another example of Labour unfairness. In PMQs last week, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch slammed Ms Phillipson for imposing VAT on private school fees, which she argued, has led to the closure of 100 institutions and put greater strain on state schools. Ms Badenoch said: She taxed private schools to pay for more teachers, but the number of teachers has gone down. It turns out that appointing a spiteful class warrior as Education Secretary was a disaster.Sir Keir Starmer defended his Education Secretary, responding: She knows exactly what it means to grow up in poverty... She was once reluctant to tell her story, but I know her story and it is an incredible story of social mobility and success.Ms Phillipson grew up on a tough street of council houses in Gateshead, near Newcastle and recalled times when she went to bed fully dressed due to her house having no heating. When she was six years old, Ms Phillipson's mother, Clare purchased their two-bedroom council house in Washington, Tyne and Wear, for £9,600 - this figure included a 38 per cent discount on its market value (£15,490). The family owned the home until May 2023, where the property sold for £99,950 - more than a 900 per cent profit. Described as beautiful and delightful but estate agents, Mr Phillipson's childhood home sits on road of Victorian-style terraced houses. LATEST DEVELOPMENTSMet uncovers 4,000 potential grooming gang cases as Sadiq Khan faces fresh scrutiny over past claimsKeir Starmer to commit extra £1bn to defence despite Andy Burnham's team urging PM to waitGreen Party candidate for Manchester backed calls for ‘car-free’ SundaysHowever, Labour's Social Housing Bill would greatly reduce the number of families who can purchase their council homes, just as the Education Secretary's family did three years ago. The bill, which is currently in the report stage in the House of Lords, will more than triple the threshold to qualify for the scheme - from previously tenants only needing to be in the property for three years, to 10 years. This is to ensure, the proposals say, it is only long-standing residents who can exercise the right to purchase their home. Discounts will also be drastically reduced, starting at just five per cent of the property's value, capped at a maximum of 15 per cent. Newly built social and affordable homes will be protected from the scheme for 35 years. Tenants who have previously benefitted from Right to Buy will not be able to use it again, while those who do purchase their home and sell it within 10 years will be required to pay all or part of the discount. The measures, ministers say, are needed to maintain social housing stock, where it is expected the legislation will reduce sales from 8,200 to 850. Ex-deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner first put the proposals forwards in 2024 when she was housing secretary. Ms Rayer, like Ms Phillipson, also benefitted from the Right to Buy scheme, which was first introduced under Maragaret Thatcher's Government in 1980 under the Housing Act. She made a £48,000 profit on her social home in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Tory Chairman Kevin Hollinrake called the move a display of Labour's spiteful class-war hypocrisy. He said: Labour have once again been caught red-handed displaying their spiteful class-war hypocrisy.They are gutting the very same right-to-buy scheme that Bridget Phillipson and Angela Rayner benefited from, pulling up the drawbridge after taking advantage themselves. As ever with Labour, it's one rule for them and another for everyone else.An source close to Ms Phillipson called it sheer snobbery from the Conservatives for attacking a strong working class woman from the north east. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter