David Johnston confirmed as new children's minister

The MP for Wantage previously worked as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP.

Between 2020 and 2021, he was a member of the Education Committee and previously chaired the Social Mobility All Party Parliamentary Group.

In December 2019, Johnston was elected MP for Wantage. He decided to enter politics as he felt the issues he cared about were being neglected while the arguments over Brexit dominated.

In his biography on the Conservatives website it says Johnston was born on a council estate and went to a comprehensive school. His father had worked in the army.

After going to university, he worked at the Social Mobility Foundation as chief executive, growing the foundation to a national charity. In 2018, Johnston received an OBE for services to social mobility and education.

The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) warned that Johnston will have to 'get to grips very quickly with the key financial and workforce challenges plaguing the sector in order to make the expansion of the funded entitlement a success.'

The Early Years Alliance said it hoped 'David Johnston can be both an advocate for the early years sector and ensure that, at an incredibly important time for the sector, it is at the very top of the Government's priority list.'

On the news, Lauren Fabianski, head of campaigns and communications at Pregnant Then Screwed, said, ‘Just a few months ago new, ambitious, expansion goals were set out for childcare, and today we begin again with a new minister in this vital role.

'The childcare sector in the UK needs urgent intervention and investment - it needs to be a priority - not a tick box exercise. What we need to see now is firm commitment to improving childcare and to see real hunger for progress.

‘This is a critical time for the early years sector workers, for parents and children. We welcome David Johnson to his new role and we look forward to working with him to make sure the early years sector can finally thrive, not just survive.’

Sarah Ronan, acting director of the Early Education Childcare Coalition, commented, ‘We congratulate David Johnston on his appointment. We are hopeful that in his constituency work and his role as chair of the Social Mobility APPG, Mr Johnston will have seen first-hand the challenges faced by parents in accessing affordable provision, but also the benefits to the lives of our most disadvantaged children when they are able to access high-quality education and care.