Botched special educational needs reform would be final straw for Starmer, warns Ed Davey
EMBARGO: 22:30 Sunday 14th September 2025
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will today (Monday 15th September) warn that botched reforms to special educational needs would be the “final straw” for the embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Speaking at a rally of parents of children with special educational needs outside Parliament today, the Liberal Democrat leader is expected to say that Starmer risks scoring a “hat trick” of failing to listen to Britain’s most vulnerable, after the government’s winter fuel payment cut and welfare reforms.
It comes as MPs are also set to debate a petition today on SEND which has received over 122,000 signatures, and which calls on the government to maintain the existing legal right to assessments and support for vulnerable children with SEND.
The Liberal Democrats have previously set out five principles for SEND reform including maintaining the right to SEND assessments for children, boosting special school capacity, improving early identification and cutting waiting lists.
Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey is expected to say:
“I’m really worried that the Prime Minister is not listening to parents and will not get crucial reforms to the special educational needs system right this autumn.
“He failed to listen to pensioners worried about losing their winter fuel payment and failed to engage properly with disabled people and carers over Labour’s disastrous welfare reforms.
“Now he risks scoring a hat trick of failing the most vulnerable by ignoring the concerns shared by so many parents of children with special educational needs.
“If the Government goes ahead with plans to roll back children's rights and damage the SEND system instead of improving it, it would surely be the final straw for Keir Starmer.”
ENDS
Notes to Editor:
The Liberal Democrats’ five principles for SEND reform can be found here.
More information on the debate in Parliament can be found here:
