HALESOWEN and Rowley Regis MP James Morris has demanded Sandwell Council leader Darren Cooper to ‘stop playing politics with local children’s education’.

Yesterday Cllr Cooper blasted Education Secretary Michael Gove’s decision to scrap plans to rebuild nine schools saying ‘it was a bitter blow for Sandwell’s children’.

However, today James Morris MP backed the Government’s decision to scrap the Building Schools for the Future programme agreeing with Mr Gove that it was a wasteful and inefficient.

The MP said: “A line should be drawn under BSF after Michael Gove’s decision and Councillor Cooper should stop politicising this subject and playing politics with our children’s education.

“I have been lobbying the Government hard on the subject of the capital funding of schools in Sandwell and believe there are now better solutions that are in place to repair schools.

“Michael Gove has allocated £500m for the schools in most need and there will be a survey of all school buildings to ensure the money goes to the most deserving schools which was not the case with BSF.”

Mr Morris pointed to The James Report which revealed that BSF was £10billion over budget and often the schools which were the best at the bidding process got the most money and not the schools which were in the poorest areas. Mr Morris added: “Now BSF is history I want to work with Sandwell’s leader Darren Cooper about finding better solutions for Sandwell’s schools.

"Standards have improved over the last few years in Sandwell's schools but there is room for improvement as we are still below the national average."