This week’s Spending Review provided a boost to many of the sectors Community members work in. We’ve broken down some of the highlights for Steel, Education and Justice & Custodial. Read on to find out how these sectors have benefited.
Steel
Community has been working closely with the Labour government on its upcoming Steel Strategy, and we are encouraged that ministers recognise how steel can be the cornerstone of a robust industrial strategy and the foundation of our national renewal.
The Chancellor’s statement in the House of Commons on Wednesday reiterated the government’s backing for the UK steel sector. There was a £426 million investment in Sheffield Forgemasters, supporting nuclear-grade steel at the works ahead of a new plant opening on site in 2028.
The government also committed to using more British Steel in construction and major infrastructure projects, including new power stations, train and tram lines, and an expanded Heathrow Airport.
Community’s National Secretary for Steel, Alun Davies, said:
“The Spending Review showed that we have a government which understands the value of our steel industry and is prepared to put its money where its mouth is – a sharp contrast with the previous Conservative administration.
“The pledge to use more homegrown steel for transport, defence and infrastructure projects will be welcomed across the sector, and as a result of other investments outlined this week there will be even more opportunities over the years ahead. For example, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of steel will be required for the Small Modular Reactor scheme and expanded Doncaster Airport, which we hope will follow in the footsteps of Heathrow by signing the UK Steel Charter.”
Education and Early Years
There was also good news for the education and early years sector this week. Among the key commitments included in the Spending Review were a £4.7 billion a year increase in the schools budget, and £2.4 billion for the School Rebuilding Programme in England. This investment in school facilities in England represents a sharp contrast to the approach taken by the Conservatives from 2010 onwards, who scrapped the previous UK Labour government’s school-building targets in England whilst these continued to be implemented in Wales under a Welsh Labour government.
There was also an extra £1.6 billion a year for childcare entitlements by 2028-29, and £370 million for school-based nurseries.
Following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement, Helen Osgood – Community’s National Secretary for Education and Early Years – met with Education minister Catherine McKinnell to discuss the education-related elements of the Spending Review. She was encouraged by the government’s commitment to making improvements that will benefit pupils and our members in schools.
Helen Osgood said:
“For years, Community has been campaigning to ensure that teachers and teaching assistants have classrooms that are truly fit for purpose. We are pleased to see that the Labour Government has listened and is providing schools with a much-needed cash injection to ensure that both students and educators can learn and teach in safe, supportive environments.
“Additional investment in schools is strongly welcomed—particularly in early intervention for special educational needs. Our members have long advocated for this support, and having the necessary funding to make it a reality will be a significant and positive step forward.”
Paul McKenna, Community’s National Secretary for Health and Safety, said:
“Attending various Health and Safety meetings has enabled Community to work collaboratively with other unions to push for much needed investments in schools. We have raised concerns around asbestos and RAAC, and the effects on staff and pupil’s safety and welfare. I welcome the announcement from the chancellor as this investment in our schools’ safeguards education and lives.”
Justice and Custodial
From our success in securing body-worn cameras for PECS staff to our ongoing Keep Us Safe campaign to reduce the number of assaults suffered by prison officers and custodial workers, Community is at the heart of efforts to make our justice sector work for the staff who uphold it, and the public it protects.
We welcome the Spending Review announcement of a £7 billion investment in the prison estate, which will help to fund 14,000 new prison places. This is much needed: the Conservatives only added 500 new prison places between 2010 and 2024, in contrast to the 28,000 added by the previous Labour government.
To accompany this, the government is investing an additional £700 million a year into the probation service. This funding will help deliver the reforms recommended in the Gauke Independent Sentencing Review, including increased use of community sentences and electronic monitoring and tagging services.
Community’s National Secretary for the Justice and Custodial sector, Gavin Miller, said:
“We welcome the government’s ongoing commitment to tackling the overcrowding crisis in our prisons after a long era of underfunding and neglect of the sector under the Conservatives. Overcrowded prisons are unsafe for our members and the general public, so an increase in prison places – coupled with an increase in funding for rehabilitation and the use of community sentences – will help support the goals of our Keep Us Safe campaign.
“As the government seeks to invest in and reform our prisons and probation system, we know that the private sector will have an important role to play and we look forward to engaging in dialogue with the government to support the rebuilding of the sector.”
You can read our General Secretary Roy Rickhuss’ full response to the Spending Review here.
© Community Trade Union 2025
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