Ed Balls claims Birmingham schools plan could be axed under Tory government

Apr 24 2010 by Jonathan Walker, Birmingham Mail

SCHOOLS Secretary Ed Balls has claimed that plans to rebuild 27 Birmingham secondary schools could be axed under a Conservative government.

But Tories claimed that Labour was hiding its own plans to cut spending on new school buildings by more than half – which would also put the projects at risk.

The election row focuses on Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme, which aims to rebuild or refurbish every secondary school in the country by 2020.

Mr Balls, Labour’s schools spokesman, has issued a statement warning that Conservatives would cut funding for the scheme.

And he highlighted rebuilding projects across the country, including 27 in Birmingham, which are in the pipeline – but have not reached the formal “financial close” stage, which means they could still be cancelled.

Mr Balls said: “A Tory axe now hangs over new school buildings in Birmingham and across the country.

‘‘It’s time for David Cameron and the Tories to come clean to teachers, parents and young people and reveal which new schools would be cancelled if the Tories win the election.”

It follows recent comments by Nick Gibb, a Tory shadow education minister, who did confirm that some projects could be cancelled.

Mr Gibb said: “What we’re saying is if financial close has been reached, it will go ahead.”

If not, “then it won’t be guaranteed.”

Decisions about whether to continue with projects will be made on a “case-by-case basis,” Mr Gibb said.

But the Government’s own figures also show that capital spending in education and health will be cut by 55 per cent, more than half, under Labour.

A Tory spokesman said: “Labour are being hugely hypocritical in accusing us of wanting to spend less on capital projects.’’