News from The Labour Party

Tory plans could see one in seven school building projects scrapped

One in seven future school rebuilding projects across England would be cancelled by the Conservatives under plans revealed in their own policy document, Labour’s Children’s Secretary Ed Balls MP and Schools Minister Vernon Coaker MP warned today.

The warning came as Ed Balls MP and Vernon Coaker MP today announced that a further six local authorities had been approved to join the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme to rebuild or refurbish all secondary schools.

A further six local authorities will join BSF in three months time, with another six joining three months after that.

Ed Balls MP, Labour’s Children’s Secretary, said:

“Labour’s unprecedented investment in school buildings and new facilities has benefited every school in every area of the country. As well as transforming the education of children, our investment is supporting local jobs and businesses, particularly in the construction industry. That’s why we have brought forward almost £1 billion of capital investment for schools this year to support the economy during the recession – a move opposed by the Conservatives.”

Vernon Coaker MP, Labour’s Schools Minister, said:

“While today’s announcement shows Labour’s continued commitment to investing in our school building programme, the Tories have made clear in their own policy document that they would cut it by £4.5 billion.

“This would mean one in seven future school building projects across England – over 360 school building projects – being scrapped under the Conservative plans.

“This would mean cuts to the school rebuilding projects we’re announcing today in Barnet, Bolton, Hampshire, Peterborough, Sunderland and Wigan and it means cuts to the projects being drawn up by dozens of local authorities across the country.

“The Tories need to come clean about which schools would not get the investment they’ve been expecting under their plans. And they need to explain to teachers and parents why they would cut Labour’s investment in schools from next year, if they are elected.”

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