Party promises to find an additional £6.9bn to spend on UK education

THE LIBERAL Democrats will today unveil plans to invest an additional £6.9bn in schools across the UK if they win next month’s general election.

The party claims the money will be used to reverse cuts to frontline school and college budgets and protect per-pupil funding in real terms.

The announcement coincides with a similar election pledge by their Labour rivals, who will today commit an extra £5.6bn for schools over the course of the next Parliament.

But setting out the plans during a campaign visit to former heartlands in the South-West, the Lib Dems will argue they are willing to go further in their efforts to invest in education.

“Children are being taught in overcrowded classes by overworked teachers – but Theresa May doesn’t care,” Lib Dem education spokesman Sarah Olney said.

“While funding per pupil is set to see the biggest cuts in a generation, billions of pounds are being spent on divisive plans to expand grammars and free schools.

“This extra £7bn of funding would ensure no school and no child loses out.

“We will reverse crippling Conservative cuts to school budgets and invest to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed.”

The funding will be allocated to schools between 2018/19 and 2021/22. Just over £1bn of the fund will be distributed to the devolved nations, while £1.2bn has been set aside to ensure no school loses out a result of the unpopular national school funding formula.

Tory ministers have repeatedly insisted that the Government has protected school funding.