Part of Women and Equalities – in the House of Commons at on 28 January 2026.
Bridget Phillipson
The Secretary of State for Education, Minister for Women and Equalities
Our child poverty strategy will deliver the biggest reduction in child poverty in any Parliament ever. That is the difference that a Labour Government are making. The hon. Members will surely recognise that the Majority of children in poverty are in working families—people doing the right thing and working hard—and we are determined to support them.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
