Even before the Conservative manifesto was launched this weekend, Boris Johnson had already committed to delivering investment in Schools – an extra £14bn a year* – to boost per-pupil funding. That kind of investment is what we can deliver for Slough schools with the strong economy managed by the Conservatives since 2010.
The strong economy is also allowing us to be able to put more money into several key areas that will help parents and children in Slough – such as £1bn extra for childcare to help extend access and a boost to teacher starting salaries*.
Tan Dhesi and the local Labour campaign has been cynically pointing to ‘cuts’ when the fact is that the last Labour government left a mess – and none more so that here in Slough. The Blair Government signed Private Finance Initiative deals with private companies for Schools in Slough that have left us with £150m** in interest payments alone. That is £5m a year – or just over £1,800 for each taxpayer in our town. Labour’s failure to manage the economy left the next generation in Slough – our children – with massive debts to pay back.
Many local parents also value the tremendous contribution our fantastic local Grammar Schools make to so many pupils in the town, but despite many Labour front-benchers sending their own children to Grammar Schools, they continue to threaten their future.
Slough is one of the youngest towns in the country, and it is only right that now, with the economy in good shape, that we invest more to give our children the best start in life. My promise to Slough parents is that I will be working to ensure that every penny of extra funding that we are putting in reaches our schools and our children.
You simply cannot trust Tan Dhesi and a Labour Government to look after the interests of our children – now or in the future.
Sources
*Conservative Party Manifesto 2019 - Investing in our Schools - Published 24 Nov 2019 - https://vote.conservatives.com/our-priorities/schools
**HM Treasury - Private Finance Initiative and Private Finance 2 projects: 2018 summary data - Published 30 May 2019 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/private-finance-initiative-and-private-finance-2-projects-2018-summary-data
