News from The Labour Party

It’s time for the Tories to come clean on schools

Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, is today urging people to take a long hard look at the Tories plans for schools.

He is challenging the Tories to come clean on how they will pay for their two flagship schools policies – new ‘free market’ schools and a national ‘pupil premium’.

Earlier today, Ed Balls set out to Parliament further details of funding for schools up to 2013, following the Pre-Budget Report announcement that funding for Labour’s frontline priorities will be protected, including schools, Sure Start and 16-19 education.

Ed Balls MP said: “Labour’s Pre-Budget Report made clear that while there will be tough decisions to halve the deficit within four years, we will protect frontline funding for our priorities, including schools, Sure Start and 16-19 education.

“But there is an unresolved conflict in the Conservatives’ plans for education: while George Osborne is applying a downward pressure to the budget for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Michael Gove’s two flagship policies – new ‘free market’ schools and a national pupil premium – apply an upward pressure on costs. How can this circle be squared?

“Michael Gove refuses to say but what is clear is that his options are limited: the costs of these two policies run into billions and those billions must come from cuts within the DCSF budget. The challenge being set to Michael Gove today is to identify what he intends to cut in order to fund his two flagship policies. It’s time for the Tories to come clean.”

Other news from The Labour Party

• "We need what you might call 'one nation banking'" - 3 February 2012
• Burnham: "Mental health must move from the edges to the centre of the NHS" - 31 January 2012
• Ed Miliband: "As a country, we succeed or fail together" - 30 January 2012