Bridget Phillipson hits back at Kemi Badenoch's 'spiteful class warrior' insult
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has hit back at Kemi Badenoch’s ‘spiteful class warrior’ insult over Labour’s 20% VAT rise on private school fees, saying she “owns” the insult if it means making a difference to children in state schools.
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Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has hit back at Kemi Badenoch’s claims that she is a “spiteful class warrior”.
The Tory leader made the comments during a verbal attack on Phillipson during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons in June 2026.
The Labour front bencher says she “owns” the insult, which stemmed from the government’s addition of 20% VAT on private school fees in the UK, and has had the insult printed on t-shirts.
“I honestly could not care less what Kemi Badenoch thinks about me,” Phillipson tells Lewis Goodall.
“I seem to be living rent-free in her head, and I don't really know why.
“She compared me to a Gestapo officer the other week as well. If you're engaging in that kind of abuse, then you're not winning the argument. What is the argument?”
'I'm probably annoying all the right people'
Badenoch also recently highlighted Phillipson’s upbringing in social housing in other criticism.
“She grew up on a council estate. She's a disgrace to people who grew up on a council estate,” Badenoch said.
“That is not an excuse for failure. Brilliant people grew up on council estates and have done a lot better than her.
“She's just not good at the job, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise.”
Badenoch also cited a poll which found UK teachers were overwhelmingly unimpressed with Phillipson’s work since taking up her cabinet role.
“I’m probably annoying all the right people if that's what she thinks,” Phillipson adds.
“What's absent in all of this is any kind of substance. Sure you can throw around insults all you like. What's the substance? What's the vision for what she wants to achieve? What's the policy?
“They have one policy, and that's to give private schools their tax breaks back – which is not a popular policy with the British people.”
'People from ordinary backgrounds want the country to be fairer'
Phillipson says most British people support the Labour government’s tax increase on private education, due to the number of children and young people attending state schools in the UK.
“I find it absolutely baffling, given that 93% of kids in our country go to state schools,” Phillipson says.
“The vast majority of parents send their kids to state schools and are more interested in what we're doing to drive up standards and deliver better life chances for children in state schools.”
She says she “owns” the ‘spiteful class warrior’ insult if it means making a difference for the 93%.
“I have been really struck by the number of really kind emails and correspondence I've had from people across the country, saying that they're spiteful class warriors too,” Phillipson adds.
“They're people from just ordinary backgrounds, like I am, who want the country to be fairer, who want to live in a world where you can get on no matter where you're from.
“I want kids growing up today from backgrounds like mine to achieve great things and to have a bright future, and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen, and if it involves being called a 'spiteful class warrior' by people like Kemi Badenoch, then so be it.”