Tory threat to new schools cash

12.00.00pm GMT Thu 11th Mar 2010

New cash for Cornish schools could be under threat if the Conservative Party takes a majority of seats at the next election.

The five-strong team of Liberal Democrat MPs for Cornwall says the £69m 'Building Schools for the Future' (BSF) investment announced by Ministers could be cut by the Conservatives.

David Cameron's party has vowed to slash £500m from the BSF programme if they win power, while the Liberal Democrats have made education one of their top four priorities for the next Parliament, promising a further £22m every year for Cornish schools.

Commenting, North Cornwall's MP, Dan Rogerson said:

"It's fantastic news that the Government has finally got round to allocating some serious money to invest in Cornish schools. But parents and pupils will doubtless be concerned that this much needed cash is high up on the Tory list for cuts.

"Scandalously, Cornish pupils already get a poor deal - each of them getting £350 a year less than the national average, and £600-£700 less than children in inner London. It's astonishing that the Conservatives could even think of making that situation worse still."

Julia added:

"Local schools are rightly excited at the prospect of multi-million pound upgrades to their buildings.

"Yet they still have no certainty that the money will come through until after the election. If the Conservatives win a majority in Parliament, Cornish cash will have to go under their promised £500m of cuts to the Building Schools for the Future budget.

"That the Tories are targeting this funding for cutbacks is a damning indictment of their approach to education and public services, and it's a serious warning about what they would be like if they get their hands on the levers of power."