MP for Somerton and Frome, David Warburton, has been promoted by the Prime Minister to Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Department for Education.
Headed by new Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds MP, the Department for Education is responsible for children’s services and education including higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills.
An experienced former teacher himself, David began his career teaching music at an inner-city comprehensive school in central London. He also taught at the junior department of The Royal College of Music and, for a decade, gave piano and composition lessons.
In his role as departmental PPS, David will support the department and help keep ministers in touch with backbench opinion on education policy. A PPS in this role also serves as a channel of communication between the government department and relevant organisations outside the House of Commons.
David Warburton said, “It’s a privilege to have been offered this opportunity in the Department for Education – an area which I’m really keen to make a difference. There’s much to do for my constituents here in Somerset and I’m delighted to take up that challenge.
“As a former teacher, schools and education were a key part of my career before politics. More recently, I’ve been supporting the f40 campaign for fairer funding for rural schools and I’m keen to be more closely involved with government policy surrounding our education system, particularly in helping rural areas such as my constituency of Somerton and Frome where schools funding is such a key issue.
“I’ve also been heavily involved with the EBacc to the Future campaign – to persuade the government to include at least one arts subject in the EBacc set of subjects. I hope to now be able to make more of an impact in several areas and look forward to that effort.”
