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Michelle Donelan is temporary children’s minister

By Rachel Lawler

Michelle Donelan early years

Michelle Donelan has been named temporary children’s minister to cover Kemi Badenoch’s maternity leave.

Donelan is MP for Chippenham and served on the Education Select Committee between 2015 and 2017 and the Education, Skills and the Economy Sub-committee between 2015 and 2017.

She has also previously help the position of assistant whip.

Donelan will also take on Badenoch’s role in supporting the education secretary’s work on further education, which was handed to him after previous minister Anne Milton was not replaced.

In response to the announcement, Gavin Williamson tweeted his congratulations to Donelan and wished Badenoch “all the very best” as she begins her maternity leave.

The news of her appointment came shortly after the Chancellor announced an additional £66 million in funding for the early years sector. The Alliance said that the funding would not make “even the smallest inroad into bridging the £662 million funding gap in the sector”.

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