Rayleigh and Wickford Conservative MP, Mark Francois, has voted against a parliamentary motion that would have forced the government to publish key information on the RAAC crisis
Local Liberal Democrat councillor James Newport demands answers and emergency funding for all impacted schools
Mark Francois, Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, has voted to block the publication of spending requested by the Department for Education to fix RAAC school roofs, amid revelations that funding requests were blocked by Rishi Sunak during his time as Chancellor.
The Liberal Democrats voted for the motion and have been pressuring the government to be transparent about their funding decisions when it comes to school maintenance.
James Newport, Lib Dem Essex County councillor for Rayleigh North, has slammed the Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford for their “utter contempt” for Rayleigh North’s constituents after they voted to cover up the thinking behind the government’s decision to underinvest in school maintenance.
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Rayleigh North, James Newport, said:
“Parents in our district deserve to know the truth about the safety of their children in school. We need to have full transparency from the government over what led us to this point.
How else can we fully understand the situation if the government hides the facts? Yet again it feels like we are being left in the dark and taken for granted by Conservative Ministers.
For Mark Francois to not want to see this information made public speaks volumes.
They would rather see Rishi Sunak and the government cover up their underfunding of schools than allow their constituents to understand how we got into this crisis. It shows their utter contempt for the constituents of the Rochford District and we deserve better.”