29.3.2000

Edward Davey upsets Blair at
Prime Minister's Question Time over education pledge

Davey accuses Blair of breaking Education Pledge

Kingston and Surbiton's MP Edward Davey again stood up for local schools by confronting Tony Blair at Prime Minister's Question Time, warning him that the Government is set to miss its manifesto promise on education funding.

Mr Davey decided to use the opportunity to raise this subject directly with the Prime Minister after local schools and worried parents contacted him with their concerns at the difficulties schools faced trying to teach in dilapidated buildings and overcrowded classes.

During his question, he argued that it was wrong to spend huge amounts of money on a cut in the basic rate of tax next year rather than invest in our children's future.

Mr Davey asked the Prime Minister: "Can the Prime Minister confirm that, despite the Budget yesterday, his Government are set to miss and to break his manifesto promise to raise the proportion of the national income spent on education this Parliament? Will he explain why he is allowing his Chancellor to spend almost three times as much on a cut in the basic rate of income tax next year as he has given to schools? Will he tell the House and the people of this country what has happened to his election priority of education as opposed to Tory tax cuts?"

Afterwards, Edward Davey commented: "You can go to any school in the Borough and the teachers will provide you with a list of the difficulties they still face, three years after Labour was elected to power."

"Even now, years of Tory under-investment in our schools have still not been reversed and as long as this continues our children will continue to suffer."

"Yet the Chancellor had a prime opportunity in the budget to turn round years of underfunding, but what will be most disappointing to parents and teachers alike is that he opted for a Tory tax cut instead."