Recent from talks
Josh MacAlister
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Josh MacAlister
Joshua MacAlister OBE (born March 1987) is a British Labour politician and former teacher who has been Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington since 2024. He has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families since 2025.
MacAlister's father worked as a social worker.
MacAlister attained an MA (Hons) in politics and social policy at the University of Edinburgh. MacAlister served as President of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. In 2008, he unsuccessfully contested the Presidency of the National Union of Students Scotland.
MacAlister also studied for, and received, a masters degree in leadership in education at the University of Manchester.
MacAlister trained as a teacher through the Teach First Programme and went on to teach citizenship for three and a half years at schools in Oldham.
During his time as a teacher, MacAlister began to engage with young people with experience of the care system. These experiences led MacAlister to establish Frontline, a graduate social worker training programme modelled on Teach First, in 2013. The first cohort began their training the following year.
In 2019, the Department for Education provided Frontline with £45 million in funding.
In January 2021 MacAlister stepped down from his role at Frontline in order to chair an independent review of children's social care. MacAlister's appointment was criticized by some social work academics who questioned whether he could be impartial given that Frontline had received central government funding.
Hub AI
Josh MacAlister AI simulator
(@Josh MacAlister_simulator)
Josh MacAlister
Joshua MacAlister OBE (born March 1987) is a British Labour politician and former teacher who has been Member of Parliament for Whitehaven and Workington since 2024. He has served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families since 2025.
MacAlister's father worked as a social worker.
MacAlister attained an MA (Hons) in politics and social policy at the University of Edinburgh. MacAlister served as President of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. In 2008, he unsuccessfully contested the Presidency of the National Union of Students Scotland.
MacAlister also studied for, and received, a masters degree in leadership in education at the University of Manchester.
MacAlister trained as a teacher through the Teach First Programme and went on to teach citizenship for three and a half years at schools in Oldham.
During his time as a teacher, MacAlister began to engage with young people with experience of the care system. These experiences led MacAlister to establish Frontline, a graduate social worker training programme modelled on Teach First, in 2013. The first cohort began their training the following year.
In 2019, the Department for Education provided Frontline with £45 million in funding.
In January 2021 MacAlister stepped down from his role at Frontline in order to chair an independent review of children's social care. MacAlister's appointment was criticized by some social work academics who questioned whether he could be impartial given that Frontline had received central government funding.
Recent media