Labour vows to support women who want to have more babies - as education spokesperson says they will build 3,000 new nurseries and help 750,000 more women return to work

Bridget Phillipson has said she wants to make it easier for women to have more children.

Labour's education spokesman said economic circumstances deterred some families from having more babies.

She vowed her party would improve workers' rights and build more homes to address the falling birth rate if they won the election.

It came as she unveiled plans for more than 3,000 new nurseries which Labour says will provide 100,000 childcare places.

She said the plans would help 750,000 more women return to work – or increase their hours – after having children.

Asked if she wanted women to have more babies, Ms Phillipson told the Mail: 'I would like young families to be able to make the choices that are right for them about family size.

'I do hear from lots of women in particular across the country that economic circumstances mean that they're not able to make choices that they would like.' She said improving workers' rights and building houses would help ease difficulties faced by families.

'Part of that challenge is also the insecurities people face at work and the fact lots of younger people can't buy a home until much later on in their lives now.

'So our plan is around security in the workplace, rights at work and also building more homes so home ownership can once again become a dream of younger people.

'That will be a central part of how families are able to make choices.' She said the plans would help women back to work, saying many 'are having to make choices they don't want to make because childcare just isn't available.'

Helping 750,000 women back into the workforce 'would make a big impact in terms of economic growth. The evidence is really clear about that,' she added.

Asked how Labour would recruit teachers after figures showed as many were leaving as were joining the profession, she said they would ensure they felt 'valued and appreciated'. 'We would restore the professional status of teachers,' she said, adding that a review chaired by former Ofsted chief David Bell would 'inform' Labour's plans.

However, she ruled out a pay rise for teachers, saying Labour would 'not make commitments around pay' but would try to reduce workload. She said: 'Our plans for mental health support in schools and breakfast clubs would address some of the wider challenges [in schools].'

Ms Phillipson ruled out sending her children, who are state-educated, to private schools even if they had specialist needs or were in an area lacking in strong comprehensives. She also ruled out using private healthcare, in an echo of Keir Starmer's recent remarks. Asked why Labour's breakfast club policy would be open to all children and not means-tested, she said: 'It's important all children and families get extra support at the start of the school day.' She added that evidence showed it was a cost-effective policy that led to better school attendance and children doing better academically.

Ms Phillipson's comments came as she announced Labour's plan to create 3,300 new nurseries based in primary schools by repurposing empty school classrooms.

The party said spare capacity from falling birth rates would be used to meet demand for childcare in under-served areas. It said the conversions will be paid for by revenue raised from adding VAT to private school fees.