Government forced into college cuts u-turn

 

The Tory-led Government has been forced into a humiliating climb-down over plans to slash funding for 18-year-olds in further education.   The Government’s original plans, announced only a few weeks ago, would have hit Croydon College with the most severe funding reduction in the country.  Croydon North MP Steve Reed visited the College to find out just how damaging the cuts would be, then challenged the Government to think again during a debate in Parliament.

One week later the Tory Minister for Skills, Matthew Hancock MP, issued a letter reducing the cuts by 60% after being forced to accept that his proposals would unfairly hit colleges like Croydon.  During the debate in Parliament Steve Reed MP highlighted how the cut would affect unemployed teenagers trying to gain the skills they need to find work.

Speaking about the u-turn Steve Reed MP said: “I’m delighted the Government has realised the foolishness of their original proposals.  It beggars belief that, at a time of high youth unemployment, the Tories tried to make it even harder for young people in Croydon to get jobs.  We should be helping our young people get the education they need, not slamming the door shut in their faces. These proposals should never have been made in the first place.”