Top Torbynista Justine Greening has come to the Commons to announce that she lost her fight with the Treasury for new money for her department. The Education Secretary dressed up her “extra £1.3 billion for schools” as a new spending commitment, leading the Lobby up the garden path:
Big question is where this extra £1.3 billion is to come from #moneytree ?
— norman smith (@BBCNormanS) July 17, 2017
Oh look. Another £1.3bn for schools from the magic money tree. The thing about minority governments. They’re expensive.
— Tony Grew (@ayestotheright) July 17, 2017
Justine Greening: extra funding for schools of £1.3bn across 2018/19 + 2019/20 – she’s won battle with Hammond but where’s cash coming from?
— Rowena Mason (@rowenamason) July 17, 2017
Greening has won her argument for extra cash for schools, an extra 1.3 billion for next two years
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) July 17, 2017
The answer? There is no new money, no magic money tree, she has not “won the battle with Hammond“. The cash is coming out of the existing Education budget, which means cuts elsewhere in the department. Remember Greening wanted new cash. Treasury win.
Extra cash for schools will come from savings within Education Department – says Justine Greening
— norman smith (@BBCNormanS) July 17, 2017
So the money’s not coming from the Treasury -Greening taking £1.3bn from free schools and capital budget to pay for extra £1.3bn for schools
— Rowena Mason (@rowenamason) July 17, 2017
Greening spins it up as more cash, the Lobby falls for it, Greening admits there is no new money, the herd follows. Wonder who could possibly have a motive to brief against Hammond…
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