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Leading membership organisation the Early Years Alliance has issued a comment in response to the news that Liz Truss will take over from Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

Commenting, Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: 

 “There is no doubt that Ms Truss takes on this role at a critical time for the early years.  

“Rising energy bills, an acute recruitment and retention crisis and the lasting impact of the pandemic – all against a backdrop of years of government underfunding – have left our sector in crisis.   

“If we are to have any chance of avoiding an early years catastrophe, it is vital that the new Prime Minister puts forward an ambitious plan for the early years: one that commits to adequate long-term funding, focuses on the needs of the child and recognises the early years workforce as the high-quality and hard-working educators they are.”  

“And while we know that during her time as early years minister, Ms Truss advocated for the relaxation of ratios, we hope against hope that the time that has passed since has given her a greater understanding of value of quality early education, and that the best way to solve the challenges facing the sector is not to deregulate it, but rather, to invest in it.  

“For so many years now, the early years sector been undervalued, underfunded and underappreciated. Now is a real opportunity to ensure that the sector rises up the government’s priority list rather than continuing to fall further down it. We hope that the new Prime Minister takes it.”