Gordon Brown refuses to meet disabled students
The Prime Minister's refusal to meet disabled students who are campaigning to save a development at their college has been branded a "disgrace".
Gordon Brown was tackled in the Commons over the withdrawal of Government funding, which threatens a planned major revamp of the National Star College.
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protest: Star College students and staff at Westminster
He was called on to meet a delegation by Cotswold MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, but this was rejected by Mr Brown who instead offered talks with a middle-ranking Minister.
The blow came as students from the college travelled to Parliament yesterday, to appeal against the loss of funding.
Staff and students at the Ullenwood college were devastated when the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) made a U-turn to provide £15.1 million for much-needed facilities for severely disabled people.
The LSC, which had agreed the grant in principle in 2006, announced last week it was withdrawing the offer following a review.
Raising the issue at weekly Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Clifton-Brown said: "Is the Prime Minister aware that some of the finest residential training for severely disabled people has been put in jeopardy by the decision of the Learning and Skills Council not to fund the expansion of the National Star College in my constituency?
"Would the Prime Minister agree to meet a delegation of some of the disabled students, some of the principals of the college, and myself to discuss the unique situation of this college and to see if there is a solution to this problem?"
But Mr Brown (pictured) said: "I have to say we have set aside £2.3 billion for investment in further education colleges over this spending review, we put an additional £300 million into that in the budget. I shall get the further Education Colleges Minister to meet him about this but we have put £300 million extra into the investment in capital buildings as a result of the budget."
His refusal to meet led to a point of order being raised with the Commons Speaker.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Clifton-Brown said: "I think it was a shameful reply of the Prime Minister to refuse to meet the delegation. It's a disgrace.
He added: "This is a national college, and so this decision affects the UK. The benefit they are getting from the college in terms of independent living is absolutely fantastic and to put that in jeopardy is shameful."
The college has already completed the first two phases of the work using £2 million of Government money and £2 million of its own to provide a new 10 bedroom accommodation unit, road access and car parking in preparation for the next phases.
It had hoped to start work on providing new buildings for education, therapy and life skills, as well as improving its medical centre in March, at a cost of £10.5 million.
Ben Mogi, aged 19, a sports student at National Star College, was among those to travel to Westminster to appeal against the withdrawal of cash for the scheme.
He said: "We want this to improve the therapy facilities and also to bring more students into the college from around Britain. It helps us with our independence and getting on with our life more."
Kathryn Rudd, deputy principal at the college, said: "We want to persuade the Government to honour the funding commitment it made to the organisation. The value of the work we are doing can't be underestimated."
Tory prospective Parliamentary candidate for Cheltenham Mark Coote said: "They have fulfilled their side of the bargain to the letter, and now to be left high and dry is a dereliction of the duty of govern- ment."
17 Comments
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by Joe K, Bring Back the REAL Citizen Facebook Page
Sunday, July 05 2009, 1:17AM
“Of course, this could just mean that poorer wards who need this kind of assistance tend to vote Labour, but it may bear further investigation...”
by Cedric Glos, Gloucestershire
Friday, July 03 2009, 8:15AM
“Phil's comment says it all.”
by John, Glos
Friday, July 03 2009, 2:49AM
“Gratifying for us all to know Mr Clifton-Brown raised this matter at Prime Ministers question time but come on newspaper editors raise this matter with Samantha Cameron and Sarah Brown. Is there no recollection both these ladies share a common grief and frustrated loss related through their loss of young disabled children. This whole matter of a broken undertaking is far too important to be allowed to rest here. Move it and progress further.”
by M Jueves, Gloucestershire
Thursday, July 02 2009, 2:43PM
“Peter -- got out of the wromg side of the bed this morning have you? -- are you disabled -- do you give a damn, -- I think the answer to both those questions is -- NO, -- the Government should be committed to making life easier for people, -- NOT MORE DIFFICULT, -- there's only one belly ache on this site, and that's you.”
by Jerry, Glos
Thursday, July 02 2009, 12:15PM
“Well Phil, when the Tories cut spending by 10% after the next election there won't be any funding for any of them anyway.”
by Joe K, Bring Back the REAL Citizen Facebook Page
Thursday, July 02 2009, 12:13PM
“Nice bit of homework there, Phil. I don't know if you mentioned the constituencies all having Labour incumbents in the previous article, but that message didn't last long, and maybe the current one won't, either. Begs the question though, why not, if the paper is actually 'anti-Labour'?”
by Giles, Glos
Thursday, July 02 2009, 11:58AM
“Jerry, I've had similar comments removed on several occasions. The political bias of this website and associated newspapers is all too obvious. It's just the local version of The Mail. Gordon Brown had other appointments yesterday. On the news last night he was interviewed as he was on the train to these other engagements. To spin this story into some Cameron-esque yarn is a joke. Brown has said the government will look into the issue - so let's see what comes of that.”
by Phil, Leckhampton
Thursday, July 02 2009, 11:10AM
“Now I've heard it all! Some readers suggest this story is political bias. How's this for political bias? The 13 colleges chosen for funding are, yes, you guessed it, in LABOUR seats.
Here's the cynical lucky 13 projects given the go ahead and their corresponding constituency MPs:
¿ Barnsley College ¿ Eric Illsley ¿ Labour
¿ Bourneville College - Richard Burden ¿ Labour
¿ Furness College ¿Cumbria ¿ John Hutton ¿ Labour
¿ Hartlepool College - Iain Wright ¿ Labour
¿ Kirklees College ¿ Huddersfield -Barry Sheerman ¿ Labour and Co-operative
¿ Leyton Sixth Form College ¿ Leyton, London - Harry Cohen - Labour
¿ West Cheshire College - Christine Russell - Labour
¿ Tresham Institute of Further and Higher Education, - Corby Phil Hope - Labour & Co-operative
¿ South-Thames - Martin Linton - Labour
¿ Sandwell College - John Spellar - Labour
¿ St Helens College - Shaun Woodward - Labour
¿ North West Kent College - Dr Howard Stoate - Labour
¿ Manchester College ¿ Wythenshawe - Paul Goggins - Labour”
by Jerry, Glos
Thursday, July 02 2009, 10:04AM
“I'm interested about the suggestion of political bias in the Citizen.
I was a bit bored the other week and thought I'd stir up one of the discussions by saying that things will only get worse when the Tories cut public spending. Completely biased comment but I was surprised whn the Citizen deleted it. I assumed that the Citizen was against any party-political comments but now I'm curious whether anti-Tory comments are more likely to be deleted than anti-labour ones.”
by Kev, Cheltenham
Thursday, July 02 2009, 9:28AM
“He is my prime minister I demand he stops doing whatever he is doing imediately and visits me whenever I feel I deserve it. Last night the light buld went in my fish tank, and where was my PM then eh? Disgraceful!”