Justine Greening

Justine Greening in 2017

Justine Greening (born 30 April 1969) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Education from 2016 to 2018. Prior to that, she served as Economic Secretary to the Treasury from 2010 to 2011, Secretary of State for Transport from 2011 to 2012 and Secretary of State for International Development from 2012 to 2016. A member of the Conservative Party, she was Member of Parliament (MP) for Putney from 2005 to 2019.

Quotes

2012

• Make no mistake - a third, short runway will not be a long-term solution to our country's hub capacity question that we currently face.
  Britain ... deserves a much longer-term aviation plan than it has had in the past.
  • "Heathrow third runway not right for UK, says Greening", BBC News (29 August 2012)

• The recent outbreak of violence in Rakhine state has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. Many are living without basic water and sanitation. We must act now to relieve the immediate suffering and to ensure that conditions do not worsen to cause further loss of life. British aid will provide emergency sanitation, clean water, healthcare and nutrition to those affected by this terrible violence. But Britain cannot do this alone and we call on other donor countries to join in this relief operation.
  • "Burma violence: UK to provide £2m humanitarian relief", BBC News (31 October 2012)

2014

• Women and children are vulnerable to brutal violence and some have lost everything... We cannot ignore what is happening to the Syrian people
  • "Syria conflict: UK pledges extra £100m", BBC News (15 January 2014)

• Free movement of labour was never meant to be an unqualified principle, irrespective of how it might have worked on the ground. We do need to see action taken in relation to negotiation with the EU. [The government is] taking a fundamental look at some of the rules that allow unrestricted immigration.
  • "EU exit would leave Britain with zero influence, says Barroso", BBC News (19 October 2014)

2016

• I want us to stay in the EU so that future generations can continue to benefit from the influence and prosperity that comes from our membership of the single market. The alternative, Brexit, would see our young people's prospects knocked sideways by an economic shock and years of uncertainty.
  • "Wandsworth's three MPs Rosena Allin-Khan, Jane Ellison and Justine Greening back Britain to remain in EU as referendum draws near", Wandsworth guardian (22 June 2016)

• Today's a good day to say I'm in a happy same sex relationship, I campaigned for Stronger In but sometimes you're better off out!
  • "Thousands join Pride parade in London", BBC News (25 June 2016)

• Local areas who want more grammar places should be able to have them and similarly, local areas who want to stick with the existing schools that they're happy with will be able to do that too.
  • "Greening announces social mobility 'opportunity areas'", BBC News (4 October 2016)

2018

• I represent a very young constituency here in London. The bottom line is that looking ahead, if Brexit doesn't work for young people in our country in the end it will not be sustainable. When they take their place here they will seek to improve or undo what we've done and make it work for them. So we do absolutely have a duty in this House to look ahead and ensure that whatever we get is sustainable and works for them.
  • "Justine Greening: Next generation of MPs could 'improve or undo' Brexit", BBC News (17 January 2018)

• I think people need to get behind her [Theresa May]. I think she is doing an important job for our country. We need to support her in that impossible, almost, task that she has negotiating Brexit.
  • "PM urged to 'see off' hard Brexiteers as Tory divisions continue", BBC News (29 January 2018)

• We'll be dragging Remain voters out of the EU for a deal that means still complying with many EU rules, but now with no say on shaping them. It's not what they want, and on top of that when they hear that Leave voters are unhappy, they ask, 'What's the point?' For Leavers, this deal simply does not deliver the proper break from the European Union that they wanted.
  • "Justine Greening's call for new Brexit referendum rejected by No 10", BBC News (16 July 2018)

2019

• I don't think I would be able to stay part of a party that was simply a Brexit party that had crashed us out of the European Union.
  • "Theresa May reaches out to Remainer rebels amid quit rumours", BBC News (21 February 2019)

• You can't pick & choose on human rights and equality. Children should understand a modern and diverse Britain they're growing up in.
  • "Tory leadership contest: Iain Duncan Smith warns of 'chaos'", BBC News (30 May 2019)

• The party has now vacated the position of natural party of government. In today’s refashioned political landscape, they are perhaps no longer even the natural party of opposition.
• Unless a future Conservative party has some authentic purpose, there will be no future for it.
  • "Leaderless, rudderless, purposeless – the Tories have just one chance to stave off extinction", The Guardian (8 July 2024)
  • Published following the 2024 general election on 4 July.

About Greening

In alphabetical order by author or source.

• In recent months she had begun to pick more of a One Nation way through the post-Gove, post-Brexit, post-election rubble. Unlike previous ministers, she was prepared to talk to the trade unions, was consulting on strengthening teacher qualifications and a new sex education curriculum, and only last week announced a modest budget to promote literacy programmes for disadvantaged students. However, her fate may have been sealed by her scepticism over free schools and the determined promotion of her own “social mobility action plan” (the Tories just will not give up on this jaded term) proposals publicly rubbished by [Nick] Timothy in the Sun.
  In the days and hours running up to her departure, support for Greening within the educational world was surprisingly strong. There was a real anger at the idea that Toby Young might stay and she would go – and not just because of the journalist’s long history of sexist tweets. Unlike Young and numerous others of his ilk, Greening is a Tory who is, at least, prepared to listen rather than lecture, to carefully consider rather than constantly broadcast their own views on everything under the educational sun.
  • Melissa Benn "Justine Greening’s departure is bad news for anyone who cares about education", The Guardian (9 January 2018).
  • Written at the time of the 2018 cabinet reshuffle in Theresa May's government.