wednesday1 Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Tory councillor Elaine Costigan has quit the Tories to join Labour following the govts. planned cuts in schools funding, declaring that 'the Labour Party is the only party who cares about places like Sandwell'. I suspect that she may be the first of many to do likewise in the coming months as the coalition's cuts begin to bite..... Tory councillor defects to Labour over education cuts The deputy leader of the Conservatives on a West Midlands council has defected to the Labour Party over cuts in education spending announced by Michael Gove, the Coalition's Education Secretary. By Patrick Sawer Published: 3:12PM BST 04 Sep 2010 Daily Telegraph Elaine Costigan Photo: STEVEN LEATH Councillor Elaine Costigan said Mr Gove's decision to cut the nationwide budget for school building would have a serious impact on schools in Sandwell, near Birmingham. In July, Mr Gove announced the cancellation of Labour's Building Schools for the Future programme, a £45 billion redevelopment scheme, which aimed to rebuild all of England's schools by 2023. But Ms Costigan said Mr Gove had "backed out" of a pledge to personally apologise to families in the area following his decision not to go ahead with the rebuilding programme. She said: "It is now absolutely clear that the Labour Party is the only party that cares about places like Sandwell. "This community has been treated with utter contempt by the government over the slashing of the school building programme and when Michael Gove backed out of his promise to come and apologise to the parents, pupils and staff he had so badly let down, I felt ashamed to be a Conservative." Mrs Costigan's move strengthens Labour's grip on Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and was welcomed by shadow children and education secretary Ed Balls, who said he had spoken to Ms Costigan and was "delighted" with her decision. He said: "Councillor Costigan knows that the only way she can properly stand up for her constituents – who have seen their much needed new school taken away by Michael Gove – is by coming over to Labour. "We agreed that it was right to put the interests of children first and I said I thought she would win a lot of support for her bravery and determination. "I know from my own visit to the borough that there is anger in Sandwell, as there is around the country, about the tragic cuts to Labour's school building programme. "Michael Gove's botched cancellation of hundreds of new school buildings, while pursuing an ideological free market in education, has not only damaged his own reputation and his party's standing in the polls but is now costing the Tories their own councillors." Ray Nock, leader of the Conservatives on the West Midlands council, said he was "totally shocked" that Ms Costigan had "jumped ship". He said: "Only weeks ago Councillor Costigan was openly attacking local Labour Party policies." A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said: "The Labour government left a dire economic mess that we have had to clear up. "BSF was inefficient and overblown and had to go. We are committed to school building in the future but unlike BSF it will be targeted at schools in most disrepair and areas with the greatest need for new school places. "The Secretary of State and the Department recently met with councillors, parents and children from Sandwell to discuss and address the area's needs." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj.scuba Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 I'm sure they'll do alright without her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vague_Boy Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Who??????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alchresearch Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 No great loss. She obviously knew little or nothing about BSF - and that's why it needed to be stopped. Schools will be rebuilt, but to a more realistic model and not some sort of costly 21st century radical design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snook Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 I think it just shows how much Labour have become Tory Lite, that people can just move across so easily. We need a new political party. Labour and the Tories are too similar, Lib Dem are now a joke, we need something new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Rich Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Tory councillor Elaine Costigan has quit the Tories to join Labour following the govts. planned cuts in schools funding, declaring that 'the Labour Party is the only party who cares about places like Sandwell'. I suspect that she may be the first of many to do likewise in the coming months as the coalition's cuts begin to bite..... Tory councillor defects to Labour over education cuts The deputy leader of the Conservatives on a West Midlands council has defected to the Labour Party over cuts in education spending announced by Michael Gove, the Coalition's Education Secretary. By Patrick Sawer Published: 3:12PM BST 04 Sep 2010 Daily Telegraph Elaine Costigan Photo: STEVEN LEATH Councillor Elaine Costigan said Mr Gove's decision to cut the nationwide budget for school building would have a serious impact on schools in Sandwell, near Birmingham. In July, Mr Gove announced the cancellation of Labour's Building Schools for the Future programme, a £45 billion redevelopment scheme, which aimed to rebuild all of England's schools by 2023. But Ms Costigan said Mr Gove had "backed out" of a pledge to personally apologise to families in the area following his decision not to go ahead with the rebuilding programme. She said: "It is now absolutely clear that the Labour Party is the only party that cares about places like Sandwell. "This community has been treated with utter contempt by the government over the slashing of the school building programme and when Michael Gove backed out of his promise to come and apologise to the parents, pupils and staff he had so badly let down, I felt ashamed to be a Conservative." Mrs Costigan's move strengthens Labour's grip on Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council and was welcomed by shadow children and education secretary Ed Balls, who said he had spoken to Ms Costigan and was "delighted" with her decision. He said: "Councillor Costigan knows that the only way she can properly stand up for her constituents – who have seen their much needed new school taken away by Michael Gove – is by coming over to Labour. "We agreed that it was right to put the interests of children first and I said I thought she would win a lot of support for her bravery and determination. "I know from my own visit to the borough that there is anger in Sandwell, as there is around the country, about the tragic cuts to Labour's school building programme. "Michael Gove's botched cancellation of hundreds of new school buildings, while pursuing an ideological free market in education, has not only damaged his own reputation and his party's standing in the polls but is now costing the Tories their own councillors." Ray Nock, leader of the Conservatives on the West Midlands council, said he was "totally shocked" that Ms Costigan had "jumped ship". He said: "Only weeks ago Councillor Costigan was openly attacking local Labour Party policies." A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said: "The Labour government left a dire economic mess that we have had to clear up. "BSF was inefficient and overblown and had to go. We are committed to school building in the future but unlike BSF it will be targeted at schools in most disrepair and areas with the greatest need for new school places. "The Secretary of State and the Department recently met with councillors, parents and children from Sandwell to discuss and address the area's needs." It didn't get much publicity from the right wing press did it? Had a Labour person defected to the Tories it would have been headline news for a week a least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj.scuba Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 It didn't get much publicity from the right wing press did it? Had a Labour person defected to the Tories it would have been headline news for a week a least. The Tories don't want or need any of their lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Rich Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 The Tories don't want or need any of their lot! You have to be joking. The only reason the Tories got the highest share of the vote was because of support from the right wing press: Mail/Sun/Express/Times/Telegraph. Not to mention Murdock's media corporation. Even with the help of all these powerful people the Tories still couldn't win an outright majority despite having 13 years to get their act together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj.scuba Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 You have to be joking. The only reason the Tories got the highest share of the vote was because of support from the right wing press: Mail/Sun/Express/Times/Telegraph. Not to mention Murdock's media corporation. Even with the help of all these powerful people the Tories still couldn't win an outright majority despite having 13 years to get their act together. Flip side of the coin, Labour only got as many votes as they did because of the likes of the Mirror. Your grasping at straws. The people wanted a change and a change is what they got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Will she be standing by her principles by resigning and standing at a by-election so that the voters can decide whether they want still her? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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