Better funding on the way for schools

DURING the election I promised I would set out to get a better deal from Government for our local schools which have been underfunded for decades due to an unfair school funding system.

Last week the Chancellor delivered his Spring Statement.

This contained the welcome news that the UK’s economic growth forecasts are up, whilst borrowing is down and that a small budget surplus is forecast for 2018-19.

This means that the UK is not spending more than it earns in tax revenue for the first time in 16 years.

Finally, thanks to the achievements of eight years of Conservative Government there is light at the end of the tunnel of repairing the deficit and damaged public finances left by the last Labour administration.

It will therefore be possible to increase public spending and investment in years ahead if public finances continue on this improved path.

I therefore took the opportunity to ask the Chancellor that one of the first areas to receive extra money would be education.

I asked that he ensure in the Autumn Budget that additional funds are provided for schools to ensure the successful implementation of the national funding formula, which we will welcome in Stockport.

I was pleased by the Chancellor’s response that the new funding formula would be introduced in a way that would protect per capita spending per pupil, and will guarantee that every school would receive a cash-terms increase.

This will make good on our election promise that a Conservative Government will raise school funding to record levels with no school facing a budget cut as a result.

This promise followed months of internal pressure by me and other MPs on the Government both before and since the last election and I am pleased that that guarantee still stands today.