LIBERAL Democrats in Warrington have welcomed the decision by education secretary Michael Gove to rethink education cuts for councils to pay for the academy schools programme.
Warrington was one of 23 local authorities to threaten legal action against the government unless they looked again at the funding formula associated with schools converting to academy status.
More than 600 academies have been established nationwide but Warrington – although Culcheth High School is understood to be considering conversion – currently has none.
Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Marks said: “The previous Lib Dem/ Conservative administration at the Town Hall agreed to join the campaign organised by the all-party Local Government Association against these cuts.
“We are not afraid to stand up against our own Coalition Government when we think they are wrong. We are very pleased that this policy is now to be reviewed.
“The problem has arisen because the government had decided to slice £400m from the funding of all local authorities to pay for academies. Those authorities like ours with no academies would lose out the most. In fact, even if we had one or two academies, we would lose out.
“This is grossly unfair and to quote the Conservative chair of the Local Government Association, it cannot be right for local taxpayers to subsidise the roll-out of the government’s academies programme.
“The money is supposed to enable academies to pay for support services like school improvement, pupil support and eligibility for free school meals. But the saving to local authorities by having fewer schools for which to provide services is likely to be much smaller than the grants we would lose.
“Up to now funding for academies has come from a central pot and this should continue. Academies are outside the local authority structure and have received their entire funding straight from national government.
“In the spring I composed joint statement which was signed by all three party leaders and the unions saying there was no appetite for academies in Warrington. This remains our position.”
Education re-think gets a welcome
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
5 Comments
i take it Labour is going to re-open up Woolston again and Longbarn???? they made enough noise about them – come on your the ruling party – What are you going to do Cllr O’Neill and Frogett?????
Here we go again. When in power the Lib/Dems were willing to shut down schools in the North East of the Town at Woolston and Longbarn to the disadvantage of pupils. When in opposition the Labour Council Members were able to make at lot of noise about these closures. It is quite right now to ask, now that you are in control, are you going to reverse these decisions. This is not an easy time but you now have the opportunity to put your moneyu where your mouth is. Are we to take the new admistration seriously and are they now better that the people they replaced?
I wonder if Cllr Helen Jones has anything to new say about Woolston closing next year? She was in the papers a lot at the time voicing her disgust at the decision especially when Woolston was then subsequently awarded specialist status for it’s work in science and also it’s high grades and anoutstanding ofsted report despite its confirmed closure. It’s not too late to change their minds but would be difficult now as there are only year 10 and 11 pupils at the school now I believe.
Actually can the exec board overturn a decision that has already been made anyway ??? The planning department can’t as it’s against some ‘act’ or other (but have been known to do so regardless as who would take them to court anyway:)
why not – the past Government took £5 billion from the pension funds in the late 90’s early 2000. Then they got a kicking in the Court’s – so they introduced new legislation which has stuffed us all now – Oh guess who voted for that stuffing WARRINGTON NORTH MP not forgetting the South on at the time.
Labour will do bugger all apart from spend spend and spend some more.