Fiona Bruce today welcomed the news that the Government has listened to the campaign from her, local head teachers and local parents, against cuts of school funding for East Cheshire.
Fiona Bruce was the first MP to attack the proposals in Parliament, and the first to demand a meeting with the Schools Minister - a meeting to which she invited headteachers from local schools, as well as other MPs from the Cheshire East area. Fiona followed these up with further meetings, including with the Education Secretary Justine Greening (photo above), and lobbying the Government to reform the proposals. She also informed that if the current proposals were brought before Parliament she would rebel against the Government to vote them down.
Following this, the Conservative Party Manifesto (published yesterday), confirmed that a Conservative Government would reform the proposals, stating that, if elected, a Conservative Government would 'make sure that no school has its budget cut as a result of the new formula.' In addition, the Manifesto stated that 'We will increase the overall schools budget by £4 billion by 2022, representing more than a real terms increase for every year of the parliament.'
Speaking following the announcement, Fiona Bruce said:
"This is a great victory for all of us who have fought so hard to ensure that our schools would not lose funding. It is a victory for parents, head teachers and all our communities in this area. I have fought for many years, alongside head teachers, to improve the funding for local schools in our area, which have historically been underfunded, and this was a key battle. I could not have made plainer to Government the strong local opposition to these cuts. The cuts would have been dreadfully wrong, and I was determined to do all I could to oppose them. This election, I have made clear that supporting our schools is one of my highest priorities and, if re-elected, I will continue to fight for schools in my constituency, to ensure they receive their fair and proper share of the £4 billion increased budget."
Back in December, Fiona had been the first MP to oppose the proposals in Parliament, saying:
"I want to speak today about just one issue of great concern, which is how negatively the proposed new national funding formula for schools will impact on schools in my Congleton constituency if it is not revised. It is critical for the children of my constituency that it is.
"We [in the Congleton Constituency had] expected a good funding increase...Imagine my heads’ consternation last week when they discovered that their funding will not increase, but actually drop. I use the word consternation; they used the word outrage. No wonder that within 48 hours of the announcement no fewer than five headteachers came to my constituency office to express their utter dismay...I hope that the Schools Minister will not just hear but act, by reviewing the impact of the new funding formula on the schools in my constituency. Without such a review, there will be grave implications for the education and life chances of the children about whom those headteachers care so deeply."