Educating Wirral

By Liam Murphy on Mar 17, 10 09:12 AM

Stuart Kelly, the Lib Dem challenger to Labour's Frank Field in Birkenhead, has stepped in to the row over education in the town in defence of the council.

Mr Field had accused the local authority - led by a coalition of his party and the Lib Dems, and with a Labour councillor as cabinet member for education - of failing local children.

However, he had specifically targeted the council's chief executive and education director, and accused chief council officers of incompetence.

Mr Kelly has now stepped in to support the council, after successfully helping press the authority to re-think its plans to close Ridgeway High and force an academy on many people who said they did not want one.

Accusing Frank Field of "political cowardice", Mr Kelly said: "I am astonished at Frank Field's comments and can't understand why he has chosen to attack officials of Wirral council rather than the elected members who lead it. It is the politicians who are accountable to the public
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"I am proud of the role I played in preventing Frank Field's crazy plans to close Ridgeway high and open an all boys school in Borough Road under the control of a private sponsor - and would do the same again.
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"He must take his share of the responsibility.Â Part of the delay in moving the Academy proposals forward was that he sought to force the closure of Ridgeway High School and foist David Hughes on an unwilling public.
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"Why has he not included Wirral's cabinet member for education Cllr Phil Davis

"Why if he wants the chief executive to resign is he not also asking for the council leader, Cllr Steve Foulkes to resign."
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