Lib Dems will invest £56 million to protect school funding across Hertfordshire as local schools face serious cuts under Conservative plans

Nigel Quinton with copies of letters from three local Headteachers

The Liberal Democrats have announced they will invest £55.8 million more in schools and colleges in Hertfordshire over the next parliament.

The funding would reverse cuts to frontline school and college budgets, protect per pupil funding in real terms and ensure no school loses out from changes to funding arrangements.

£6.3 million of the £56 million funding would be spent on protecting the Pupil Premium, introduced by the Liberal Democrats to help the most disadvantaged children.

Nigel Quinton, LibDem Parliamentary Candidate in Welwyn Hatfield, said:

“In what is fast becoming a local and indeed national scandal, Headteachers across our area are being driven to write to parents alerting them to the state of school funding.

“We have seen letters from at least four of our local secondary schools pointing out that they simply won’t be able to continue to offer the level of support for pupils that they would like. They report a 35-45% cut per pupil since 2012, despite costs rising due to unwanted changes in the courses for GCSE and A-levels forced on them by Mr Gove.

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

“This extra £56M of funding in Hertfordshire would ensure no school and no child loses out.”

Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron said:

“A landslide for the Conservatives would allow Theresa May to take parents across the country for granted and cut our schools to the bone.
“We will reverse crippling Conservative cuts to school budgets and invest to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed.

“Vote for the Liberal Democrats and you can change Britain’s future.”

Lib Dems: This is a chance for voters in Welwyn Hatfield to forge a better future for the country

Nigel and team campaigning in Handside

Voters in Welwyn Hatfield should vote for the Liberal Democrats to change the direction of the country and ensure Britain has a decent alternative to the Conservatives’ Hard Brexit, the party’s local candidate Nigel Quinton has said today.

The Prime Minister has called a snap General Election to be held on the 8th June, which was approved by Parliament today.

Liberal Democrat candidate Nigel Quinton commented:

“This election is a huge opportunity for voters in Welwyn Hatfield to change the direction of our country – and only the Liberal Democrats can offer a coherent and progressive alternative to the Conservatives’ harsh policies on the NHS, on funding for schools, and on the environment.

“Many in this area may have voted to leave the EU (by just 1% more than the national average), but I’m not sure many of them voted for the extreme form of Brexit that Theresa May has imposed on us, and which Labour has backed. Whichever way you voted last June, if you want to protect our local economy by staying in the Single Market and ensure that the people have the final say, this is your chance.

“In the local elections on May 4th we expect to poll very well indeed and it will be clear that the Liberal Democrats are the clear challenger to the Conservatives here, while Jeremy Corbyn’s hard Brexit supporting Labour party are in disarray.

“By the time we get to the General Election in seven weeks’ time, I believe more and more will recognise that the Liberal Democrats are the real opposition to the Conservative Brexit Government and the only party fighting for a Britain that is open, tolerant and united.”