Wyre Forest, Mark Garnier, and the BSF

Tav's pretty much got an entire section devoted to the effects of the BSF cuts on Wyre Forest and the statements made by our new Conservative MP Mark Garnier, but I think a rough chronological recap might be required.

Labour created the Building Schools for the Future programme as an effort to rebuild or renew every secondary school in the country. Although the audit office state that this programme was "presented better value for money than the academies." [Valerie Vaz via WFA] progress has been slow.

Wyre Forest is in a state of educational change with 50 schools becoming 30 as it shifts from a three-tier to a two-tier system and therefore can be said to be dependent on funding to accomplish this.

Prior to the election the Conservative candidate Mark Garnier states that Education was his top priority. When challenged on the BSF by the Labour candidate his response was "The BSF has been signed off, so contrary to what Nigel said there will be no change in BSF"

In his own leaflet we see Mark with Michael Gove, during the campaign a letter to the Shuttle make much about the current MP's independent status and how this prevents Wyre Forest from having its voice heard at Parliament.

Now elected, in his maiden speech we heard "The BSF programme has been signed off this year by the Treasury, so although I have no reason to believe that the rebuild will not go ahead as planned, I cannot understate the importance that this investment will have in Wyre Forest, where there is a need to deal with issues relating to certain pockets of local deprivation."

So come the news regarding the BSF cuts and we find every Wyre Forest School on the list what is our MPs response - "as far as I was concerned right up until the point when the BSF was pulled I was under no misapprehension that is was going to go ahead. I always thought it was going ahead, so I was as surprised as those Heads were" and "What I am going to do is after having a meeting with the Heads is that we do need to get a meeting with Michael Gove." [via WFA]

Now it's possibly to feel sorry for Mark, if his statements are true he's had the rug pulled out from under him not only by his own Party but by someone who was happy to stand and pose with him for a photo opportunity. So now what?

If he takes a stand against his Party that sends a message to us where his priorities lie, but at the possible expense of becoming on the outs with the upper Party and jeopardising future projects. If he's seen to just accept Party policy he can almost guarantee not being re-elected in five years time.

So he needs to tread carefully. In my opinion he needs to strongly state that he can't accept this proposal and that either he will have the Wyre Forest schools put back on the list or return with a new source of funding so the programme itself can continue. Even if he fails the fact that he would be seen to be fighting hard for us would make an impact even if he's deferential in private to his 'superiors'.

As it stands he sounds wishy-washy, as if he's shrugging his shoulders and stating 'I didn't know, not my fault, what can you do?' However as Conservative councillor John Campion suggests let's give him some slack. Let's see what he does with his next appearance in the House. If he does nothing then we can metaphorically lynch him.

[Update - I note that of the local political sites I list to the right only Fran's mentions the plan to cut BSF, but nothing since. Come on people, much as I hate "I told you so's" I'd have expected at least Labour to post something given the specific question asked by their candidate]