Elmdon Councillor Laura McCarthy has expressed her dismay at Julian Knight’s description of school underfunding as ‘Tosh’. Councillor Laura McCarthy (Elmdon) “I was horrified to read Julian Knight describe the subject of School Funding as “tosh” on Twitter this week”, Councillor Laura McCarthy said. Councillor McCarthy was responding to comments on Twitter by the Solihull MP about school funding and his assertion that claims of underfunding were based on “misleading figures”. Councillor McCarthy added, “However flawed the statistics (to which he refers), what is clear to everyone, except for Julian Knight, is that Solihull’s schools are suffering from chronic underfunding. “Headteachers, Teachers, Governing Bodies, School Support Staff, PTAs, and parents have repeatedly warned that Solihull schools are underfunded. “We have heard from teachers who have paid for pencils from their own pockets, schools that photocopy books for home reading as they just don’t have enough to go around, and from PTA volunteers who are making themselves unwell whilst trying to raise funds for essential resources. “Our children are being disadvantaged by chronic underfunding and schools across Solihull are fighting an uphill battle to ensure that every child is given the best possible start in life. “I have heard it said by Conservative colleagues that schools should just make more cuts. The truth is, there is nothing left to cut. Solihull schools have been bled dry. What they need is proper funding. “Our schools are in crisis and are screaming for help. “When will the MP who is supposed to represent them listen? Solihull deserves better."
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Less than two weeks ago, I warned about the risk of massive job losses at Jaguar Land Rover and "the deafening silence" from Solihull's MP over the threat of job losses at Solihull's largest employer. Councillor Ade Adeyemo outside JLR's Lode Lane plant So far, Julian Knight has said nothing about JLR since CEO Ralf Speth announced that 10,000 job losses were on the cards.
That so many jobs are under threat is a direct result of this Conservative government's inability to come up with a coherent Brexit proposal that will help secure local jobs here in the UK. For someone who claims that "a big part of his previous job" was "making economic stories interesting and accessible to everybody" (Observer, 4.10.2018), Julian Knight's silence on this matter tells us loud and clear that he is more interested in dancing down the aisle with Theresa May than saving local jobs at JLR's Lode Lane plant. Solihull deserves better than this. Thousands of local jobs are at risk and our MP keeps talking about 5G broadband and Channel 4 moving to Birmingham - anything but jobs at JLR! Solihull residents demand better from their local MP. This one, sadly, is a disappointment. Councillor Ade Adeyemo (Lyndon ward) Parliamentary Spokesperson for Solihull Councillor Ade Adeyemo has expressed concern at “the deafening silence” from Solihull’s MP overjob losses at Jaguar Land Rover. Councillor Adeyemo outside JLR's Lode Lane plant Commenting on recent announcements by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Councillor Ade Adeyemo said,“Several times now, Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has warned about the risk of joblosses in Solihull and other JLR plants yet our MP has been largely silent on the issue. Quite frankly,the silence from Julian Knight has been deafening!”
Earlier this year, JLR laid off 1000 workers, mostly agency staff, and Dr Speth warned again last weekthat ‘tens of thousands’ of jobs may be lost in the event of a bad Brexit deal. Since then, JLR has announced cuts in production at its Castle Bromwich plant and plans to enforce a 3-day working week. Production of the new Discovery model has already been switched away from Solihull to Slovakia. Councillor Adeyemo added, “Whatever your views on Brexit, nobody voted for massive job cuts,which will severely affect people’s livelihoods in Solihull. While the Conservatives are infighting and making a hash of the UK’s exit from the EU, jobs have been lost and many more are under threat.” “When will our MP speak up for JLR, the largest employer in Solihull? It will be a disaster for the area if thousands more jobs are lost. Quite frankly, Solihull deserves better that an MP who sits on hishands and does nothing whilst thousands of jobs are lost!” Labour's 'new position' on Brexit and the UK’s withdrawal from the EU is a betrayal of young people and everyone who voted for the party.I feel really sorry for all of the young people who believed the Labour lies in the run up to the 2017 general election. Labour lied to young people and now they are furiously backtracking on their false promises.
Young people were promised that tuition fees would be abolished and former students would have their outstanding loans quashed. That was the big stick with which Labour activists bashed Lib Dems with glee. When faced with the prospect of a £100 billion bill after the election, ‘Comrade’ Corbyn promptly announced that he didn't really mean that he would abolish tuition fees! Now that they are reasonably confident that there will not be another snap general election, Jeremy Corbyn and Labour have done a policy U-turn and they are now assuming the position on Brexit that moderate Lib Dems like myself took when we were campaigning for the general election. Sadly, all those people, young and old, who flocked to "Jeremy the Saviour”, have had their hopes dashed. The Labour leadership lied about abolishing tuition fees and they are now claiming to have had a "change of heart" about Brexit. It would be interesting to know what Labour voters think, now that their Leader and their party are assuming the "Lib Dem position". Can they really trust Labour to keep their promises? Councillor Ade Adeyemo Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Solihull |
AuthorCouncillor Ade Adeyemo is the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Solihull Archives
February 2020
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