May’s grammar school bid is under fire
REMOANER Tories and Left-wingers have united to block Theresa May’s plans to expand grammar school education.
Former education secretary Nicky Morgan has joined forces with Lib Dem former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and Labour ex-shadow education minister Lucy Powell to oppose the plan.
Ms Morgan, a hardline Remoaner, has been trying to undermine the Government from the backbenches on a range of policies after she struggled to accept the result of the EU referendum.
In a joint article, she, Mr Clegg and Ms Powell argued that creating new grammar schools will do nothing to promote social mobility and warn there is no room for more “division” in the education system.
“We must rise to the challenge with a new national mission to boost education and social mobility for all,” they write.
“That’s why we are putting aside what we disagree on to build a cross-party consensus in favour of what works for our children not what sounds good to politicians.”
The rebellion by a number of Tory MPs and problems in the Lords has raised the possibility that Mrs May could go for an early election on May 4. With a working majority of just 17, her vulnerability to Tory revolts was underlined last week when Chancellor Philip Hammond was humiliatingly forced to back down over his Budget reforms to National Insurance following a backbench backlash.
Mrs May has refused to back down on her policy of reintroducing grammar schools.
She said: “This is about our belief in social mobility and making this country a true meritocracy – a country that works for everyone.”