Back in March I wrote a letter to the Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, asking her department to grant the request from Cumbria Education Trust – which runs Whitehaven and Workington academies – for funding to build a new dedicated sixth form space across Whitehaven and Workington to accommodate increased capacity for post-16 education and also free up space across both schools for more 11-16 year olds to attend.
This was part of my campaign to increase school places at both schools, which are at or near capacity, to accommodate growing demand.
This week I finally got a reply. And it was not the news we hoped for.
Instead of taking responsibility and using some of the DfE’s massive budget underspend to provide the funding we need to build a new sixth form and increase school places, the Minister denied there was even an underspend – contrary to evidence highlighted by the independent National Audit Office – and rejected the request.
Workington’s outgoing MP, Mark Jenkinson, who is not standing to represent Workington at the next election, has refused to call on the government to provide the funding, instead resorting to his usual approach of blaming the local council.
Mark Jenkinson can create all the alternative facts he chooses but he can’t hide the truth from the people of Workington.
Perhaps instead of trying to find a way to blame everything on Cumberland Council he could use the time he has left to work with me, with local school leaders and with parents to convince his government to change its mind and provide the funding needed to expand school places.
The people of Workington deserve better than this petty political point scoring. They need a grown up MP focused on delivering for the town.
Rest assured I will keep fighting on this issue.
Josh MacAlister
Standing to be your Labour MP for Whitehaven and Workington
Josh MacAlister MP 