Allan Smith

Just a few months into Boris Johnson's reign as Mayor of London and we can already see the chaos a Tory government would bring. Not content with slashing half-price bus and tram fares for 75,000 Londoners on income support, his team are now advocating the full-scale privatisation of our local schools.

Boris' senior planning advisor, Sir Simon Milton, told a national newspaper schools should be sold to private companies who would run them for profit. While private and voluntary groups can run schools under the academy programme, all incomes go back to the schools. Under the Tory plans companies would cream off all profits into their own coffers.

This move is an absolute disgrace and shows the Conservatives are not at all interested in public sector services or our children's education.  We should be looking after the vulnerable and disadvantaged and giving our children the best possible start in life - not cutting and selling off to suit shareholders.  Teachers work very hard, often through long hours, to give our kids the best possible education - would this stop if schools were run for profit?

In North Lincolnshire the Tories got rid of public sector housing and it was up to the Labour group to stop them flogging off leisure services.  I do hope we are never in the situation where the Conservatives would get rid of our schools to the highest bidder.