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Theresa May warned of Tory revolt over school spending cuts Theresa May warned of Tory revolt over school spending cuts
(about 4 hours later)
Theresa May has been warned she faces a revolt by Conservative MPs over school cuts, as it emerged that George Osborne, the former chancellor and newly appointed editor of the London Evening Standard, was among MPs who met the education secretary to raise concerns about a new funding formula. Theresa May has been warned she faces a revolt by Conservative MPs over school cuts, with more than a third of Tories in marginal seats facing slashed budgets.
Veteran Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who was among nine Tories who met the prime minister over the issue this week, said the proposals would not pass the Commons in their present form. With pressure mounting on the prime minister, Downing Street repeatedly stressed the new schools funding formula was a consultation, hinting that the government was in listening mode.
Tory MPs also confronted the education secretary, Justine Greening, at a meeting of the 1922 committee on Wednesday night. George Osborne, the former chancellor and newly appointed editor of the London Evening Standard, was among MPs who met the education secretary, Justine Greening, to raise concerns about the new funding formula.
The threat of a revolt comes after a report found all schools in England were likely to face real-term cuts to funding by 2019-20, with about half facing a reduction per pupil of 6% to 11%, in line with the government’s proposed funding formula. Conservative MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who was among nine Tories who met the prime minister with their concerns over the issue this week, said the proposals would not pass the Commons in their present form. At least a dozen backbenchers also confronted Greening about the proposals at a meeting of the 1922 committee on Wednesday night.
Of the top 50 Tory-held marginal seats, 18 have more schools losing out on funding than gaining. The seats include Crewe and Nantwich, the seat of Education minister Ed Timpson and Brighton Kemptown, where treasury minister Simon Kirby sits.
The threat of a revolt comes after a report found all schools in England were likely to face real-term cuts to funding by 2019-20, with about half facing a reduction per pupil of 6-11%, in line with the government’s proposed funding formula.
The Education Policy Institute research found inflation, coupled with a reduction in local authority funding and the £3bn of education savings schools must make by 2019-20, would leave even those schools which the government has said will benefit under the new formula worse off.The Education Policy Institute research found inflation, coupled with a reduction in local authority funding and the £3bn of education savings schools must make by 2019-20, would leave even those schools which the government has said will benefit under the new formula worse off.
In an article in his local paper, Osborne said he met Greening last week to raise the concerns about the impact of the funding formula on Cheshire schools. “I wanted the government to know directly how concerned local teachers and parents in Cheshire are about the new schools formula,” he said.
“There’s no substitute to giving the message direct to the education secretary – so that’s what I did. Everyone knows we need a new formula and that there isn’t extra money lying around, but the money needs to be fairly distributed. I said when I met with local schools I would be a strong voice for them – and that’s what I will continue to do. My hope and expectation is that the message is getting through.”
Clifton-Brown, who said he had never voted against the government in 25 years in parliament, said there had been hints that the government was reconsidering the formula. “I think ministers recognise, and indeed I told Justine Greening in a later meeting, that this wouldn’t go through in its present form,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.Clifton-Brown, who said he had never voted against the government in 25 years in parliament, said there had been hints that the government was reconsidering the formula. “I think ministers recognise, and indeed I told Justine Greening in a later meeting, that this wouldn’t go through in its present form,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
He said the prime minister and the education secretary were “listening to what responses they get back” from the consultation. “I think knowing that they will have difficulty getting it through the House, they will have to alter it.”He said the prime minister and the education secretary were “listening to what responses they get back” from the consultation. “I think knowing that they will have difficulty getting it through the House, they will have to alter it.”
Schools in his Gloucestershire constituency had “pared everything to the bone” in recent years, the MP said. “Under this new formula, all my large primaries and all of my secondaries will actually see a cash cut in their budgets.Schools in his Gloucestershire constituency had “pared everything to the bone” in recent years, the MP said. “Under this new formula, all my large primaries and all of my secondaries will actually see a cash cut in their budgets.
“One teacher put it to me that on this basis, on this so-called new fair funding formula, if nothing is done, if he doesn’t make teachers redundant, in three years’ time his teacher salary bill will be 105% of his total income, so he has to make teachers redundant. The result of that is that courses will be merged and education standards will start to drop.”“One teacher put it to me that on this basis, on this so-called new fair funding formula, if nothing is done, if he doesn’t make teachers redundant, in three years’ time his teacher salary bill will be 105% of his total income, so he has to make teachers redundant. The result of that is that courses will be merged and education standards will start to drop.”
Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said the EPI research showed secondary schools could be forced to lose the equivalent of six teachers as a result of severe funding cuts. In an article in his local paper, Osborne said he met Greening last week to raise the concerns about the impact of the funding formula on Cheshire schools. All 34 schools in his constituency would end up losing out from the funding formula, in breach of the Conservative manifesto commitment that promised to protect per-pupil funding. Tatton’s pupils would stand to lose around £100 each in funding under the current proposals.
“Even without the proposed formula, schools are already seeing both real-terms cuts to their spending and rising costs on top. Headteachers are being forced to choose between cutting subjects or cutting the school week,” she said. “There’s no substitute to giving the message direct to the education secretary – so that’s what I did,” Osborne wrote. “Everyone knows we need a new formula and that there isn’t extra money lying around, but the money needs to be fairly distributed. I said when I met with local schools I would be a strong voice for them – and that’s what I will continue to do.”
“Less than two years ago, the Tories promised millions of parents that they would protect the money that is spent per pupil on their children’s education. This report shows that it is yet another manifesto promise they are breaking.” Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said the government needed to listen to its own backbenchers. “The chancellor’s chickens are coming home to roost. Tory MPs are in open revolt, schools across the country are facing cuts and heads are being forced to choose between cutting subjects, staff or school days,” she said.
“Even the former chancellor George Osborne is demanding a rethink, and I’m sure it would make a great campaign for the Evening Standard. So it’s time the PM kept the Tories’ promise to protect school funding for every pupil – before she is forced in to yet another humiliating climbdown.”
The consultation on the funding formula would close next week, a No 10 spokesman said. “It is a genuine consultation and then we will respond,” the prime minister’s spokesman said.
“We have protected the schools budget in real terms, we have the highest level of school spending on record. We are honouring our commitments in terms of increasing the education budget.”