Tony, 4, is top class

Almost no surprise – it turned out to be another broken promise.

Instead of action to help desperate families we’ve had years of procrastinating.

And since the 2015 pledge, prices have risen.

Now, for many parents, the cost of sending their children to school with the proper kit has become unmanageable.

In some cases it is forcing families to go without food or heating.

This is a shocking problem but one that is easily solved. In Wales, they’ve just done it. They’ve asked schools to think twice about forcing parents to fork out by insisting that uniforms can be bought from a range of suppliers rather than a single source.

This is something that could be easily replicated here.

After all, this was a promise made four years ago.

Ministers say they’ve been waiting for the right time.

We know it’s been a busy four years in Parliament but there are days when nothing happens and surely there must have been some time available.

Especially for an important issue like this.

The Children’s Society estimate around 1.7 million children go to school wearing incorrect, unclean or ill-fitting uniform.

And half a million children have been sent home because of wearing the wrong items.

In Wales they’ve already taken the decision to make life easier for parents and remove the stigma for children.

Now Westminster must do the same. IN just three weeks proud Paula and Mark Hudgell will wave their little lad off to school.

Tony, four, was adopted by them in 2016.

He had endured a catalogue of horrors. Beaten so badly by his birth parents he lost his legs. But that’s behind him now. School’s next for Tony. He’s so excited to start. With his battling spirit, he will have no problem living up to the school’s motto:

Be the best you can be.