Labour announce plans to boost kids' sport access in bid to harness patriotism in England to beat obesity

21 April 2024, 22:36

Labour has announced a plan to boost sports access for kids to help 'harness the strength of England's national pride'.
Labour has announced a plan to boost sports access for kids to help 'harness the strength of England's national pride'. Picture: Alamy

By Chay Quinn

Labour has announced a plan to boost sports access for kids to help 'harness the strength of England's national pride'.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

Sir Keir Starmer said kids are being "locked out of emulating their heroes" due to falling PE provision in school.

Labour said that if it returns to power it will commit to halting the decline in kids' access to team sports.

Speaking ahead of St George's Day on Tuesday, Sir Keir said sporting pride "runs deep in the nation's psyche" and formed "a cornerstone of our national life".

Read More: Keir Starmer calls for Nike to scrap England football kit with 'updated' St George's Cross

The Labour leader said: "When I speak to young people up and down the country, the confidence, pride and patriotism that comes with national sport is clear for all to see. And that patriotism is a force for good in English sport.

"But young people are being locked out of emulating their heroes. With a widening access gap between state and private schools, girls and boys, and a damaging decline in PE hours, countless children are being shut out of finding their passion under this Government."

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer in the stands during the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Picture date: Saturday April 20, 2024.
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer in the stands during the Premier League match at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Picture date: Saturday April 20, 2024. Picture: Alamy

The number of hours of PE taught in secondary schools fell to just under 286,000 in 2022/23, 4,000 hours less than the previous year and around 40,000 less than in 2011/12.

Labour said there was a significant gap in participation between pupils and state schools and private schools, while girls were three times less likely to take part in sport than boys.

The party has pledged to provide equal access to sport for girls and boys and reform the curriculum to ensure children at state schools do not miss out on PE.

F
The number of hours of PE taught in secondary schools fell to just under 286,000 in 2022/23, 4,000 hours less than the previous year and around 40,000 less than in 2011/12. Picture: Alamy

Sir Keir said: "I fell in love with football from an early age and fondly look back on the hours I spent with a ball at my feet, bouncing from pitch to pitch with my friends. Like countless others, it boosted my confidence and shaped my identity.

"But many young people now don't have that same opportunity. That's why my Labour Party will ensure that every child has the chance to be active at school and reform the curriculum to strengthen PE, sports and arts access.

"We must widen access for the next generation, because if playing team sports is the preserve of a handful of children, we will simply miss out on the talents of so many.

"Only by harnessing our pride and patriotism can we reverse this damaging decline, develop the talent of future stars, and cement national pride in sports for years to come."

Angela Richardson, deputy chairwoman of the Conservative Party, accused Labour of wanting to "politicise childhood health".

She said: "The truth is that childhood obesity is higher in Labour-run Wales than under this Conservative Government in England."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

A volcano in Iceland has erupted, leading to evacuations.

Iceland volcano erupts for 12th time since 2021, prompting evacuations from iconic Blue Lagoon spa

ITV Palooza 2022 – VIP Access

ITV will 'stand by' John Torode after he was axed from MasterChef over racism claim

Sandie Peggie was suspended after she complained about having to share a changing room with transgender medic Dr Beth Upton at the NHS Fife hospital where they both worked.

NHS nurse who complained about trans doctor using female changing rooms cleared of gross misconduct

Emma Watson was photographed arriving at Nice Airport during the 78th Cannes Film Festival in May, but did not attend court

Harry Potter star Emma Watson banned from driving after being caught speeding in £30k Audi

Grace O'Malley Kumar and Barnarby Webber

Students stabbed to death in Nottingham attacks to receive posthumous degrees from university

A man and a woman smile at the camera

Ghislaine Maxwell could use ‘government misconduct’ to challenge imprisonment

Shopper holding shopping basket in supermarket vegetable and fruit section

Why has inflation risen unexpectedly and what does it mean for households?

Garden hosepipe ban saving water during heatwave summer of June 2025 Lancashire UK

Southern Water announces hosepipe ban following prolonged dry weather

Olympic gold medal winners Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean during their 'Bolero' performance at their last public skate of their 'Our Last Dance' UK tour at the Motorpoint Arena, in Bolero Square, Nottingham.

Jayne Torvill says secret to friendship with Christopher Dean is they 'never got married'

People enjoy the sunshine and the water on the Margate Beach

Council to reinstate 'draconian' fines for swearing amid anti-social behaviour problems

d

Cod and chipsss: 'Python' discovered in chippy kitchen after escaping owner - as RSPCA issues snake warning

Thousands of starving Palestinians flock to an aid distribution centre in order to receive food package.

At least 19 die in crowd crush near Gaza aid distribution centre, says US and Israel-backed aid group

Windsurfer near Portland Harbour, Weymouth, Dorset

Kite surfer in his 70s dies after being ‘blown into the side of a yacht’ at popular UK beach

Lisa Stocker, 39, told a court she "won't trust people so easily again" as she claimed she was conned into trafficking drugs into Bali.

'I won't trust people again', Brit mum facing death penalty for 'smuggling cocaine into Bali' says in teary court appearance

Taliban fighters display their flag on patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan (Rahmat Gul/AP)

Taliban claims it has had the 'kill list' for years and is hunting down Afghans named

Dubai Chocolate bar with green kadayif and pistachio spread with pistachio nuts close up

Urgent warning to Dubai chocolate lovers as popular sweet treat recalled over 'serious' allergy risk