Bridget Phillipson swiftly dodges GB News grilling on Labour's stance on burka ban: 'Women can make their own choices'

Reform MP Sarah Pochin used her first question in Prime Minister's Question to propose the ban, asking Sir Keir Starmer: "Given the Prime Minister's desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he, in the interests of public safety, follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others and ban the burka?"

Starmer simply responded: "I'm not going to follow her down that line."

Questioned by Breakfast host Ben Leo on whether the Labour Government would back a ban, Phillipson stated: "My position around what women wear is that it's a matter for them to decide what they want to wear.

"I wouldn't much like people telling me what I could or couldn't choose to wear."

Highlighting Britain's "free society", Phillipson failed to determine the party's position on a ban: "I think in a free society, women are able to make the choices about how they choose to dress.

"That's their choice, and that's as it should be."

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When quizzed on her VAT raid on private schools and how it is "putting pressure" on state education, Phillipson hit out at the private sector for "scaremongering".

Phillipson told GB News: "I’m afraid I simply don't accept the scaremongering that we've seen from the private schools lobby. They've made their case and they're entitled to make it, but we did set out this policy position a very, very long time ago.

"We've been clear about why we're doing it, and that's to invest more money in our state schools. I don't accept the wider premise of all of this, but there is also a change in terms of the birth rate. So we're going to have fewer children and young people coming through state schools anyway, because of the fall in the birth rate."

Making clear that her priority is on "funding state schools", Phillipson added: "Do we prioritise tax breaks for private schools, or do we prioritise investing in state education? I choose the latter.

"I’m confident that schools are able to manage this process, but I don't simply accept some of the framing around this. And it is a question, however, of priorities. We've been clear about why we're doing it, and that's to invest more money in our state schools."

Phillipson outlined her plans for state schools further, concluding: "We as a Government have made the decision to prioritise investing in state schools. That's where the majority of our children go to school. It's where the majority of your viewers will be sending their children to school, and what they want is more investment in our schools.

"More teachers, measures like the one I'm setting out today around expanding access to free school meals, that's the difference that a Labour Government is bringing.

"It's not something you'd be seeing from Conservative or Reform politicians, but we have made some choices, and one of the choices that we're making is to support families, to support schools."