Why Bridget Phillipson has accused the Tories of a ‘manufactured smear’

LocalPolitics
29 Jun 2026 • 9:58 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Why Bridget Phillipson has accused the Tories of a ‘manufactured smear’

  • Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has accused the Conservatives of a "manufactured smear" following criticism over the profit made from her mother's council house sale.
  • Reports indicated that Phillipson's mother purchased their council house in 1990 for £9,600 under the Right to Buy scheme and sold it in May 2023 for £99,950, resulting in a £90,000 profit.
  • Conservative figures, including chairman Kevin Hollinrake, accused Labour of "spiteful class-war hypocrisy" for planning to restrict the Right to Buy scheme while senior party members had personally benefited from it.
  • Phillipson defended her mother's decision, explaining it was made to provide her family with a better life as the house was in a "terrible state" with poor heating and rotten windows.
  • This dispute further escalates the ongoing feud between Phillipson and Kemi Badenoch, following a recent parliamentary clash where Badenoch labelled Phillipson a "spiteful class warrior" over policies concerning private school fees.

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