Lynne Featherstone

Sooooooooooooo – at last my number came up in the ballot and I get to ask a question at Prime Minister’s Questions (basically – other than party leaders – MPs are picked at random to ask the other questions).

Although I think Gordon Brown had other worries today (like his political life) I managed my question competently (I thought) and was rewarded with a reasonably progressive answer. He was forced to admit that Haringey School’s funding deal needs “continued looking at” following my impassioned plea for a fair funding deal for the borough’s schools (the topic of my online petition).

I asked the PM to end the injustice that Haringey schools received on average £736 less per pupil than in inner London, even though local teachers are paid on inner London pay scales. Gordon Brown conceded the point and stated that outer London funding would continue to be looked into.

I will follow up with a letter as a chink has opened up and I am damned if our kids are going to get less than neighbouring boroughs for another three years until the funding formula is substantively reviewed. Waiting for a review may be fine in bureaucracy land – but those children aren’t going to get those three years of education back again – and of course we don’t know for sure what the review will even decide then, or on what timescale. So get a move on Gordon!

Comments

1. Anonymous says:

   14 October 2007 at 7:20 pm

   Well done Lynn. But for goodness sake, it’s time for Ming to go. There aren’t going to be many LD MPs left unless we get in Huhne (my preference) or Clegg.

   Accordion
2. Deepak says:

   14 October 2007 at 10:30 pm

   Details at 10 October section of:

   http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page306.asp

   (windows media player at about 27.36 min)