Conservatives get their school facts wrong again (South West Surrey Liberal Democrats)

South West Surrey Liberal Democrats <info@swsurreylibdems.org.uk>

Conservatives get their school facts wrong again

April 15, 2005 2:06 AM

Simon is a strong supporter of Church schools

The new Conservative candidate in SW Surrey had to explain himself to nineteen headteachers following an admission that he had got his facts completely wrong over the Liberal Democrat policy on Church Schools. The Liberal Democrats are strong supporters of all of our schools, including all of our church schools.

The new Tory had published a leaflet in March claiming that Liberal Democrats would "effectively abolish" all of the area's church schools. Simon Cordon and the LibDems support ALL of our schools in South West Surrey. Simon has always supported all of our schools and has never brought them into political controversy. He said he was "deeply offended" by the new Tory's lie and demanded that an apology be given to each of the schools concerned.

Guildford Diocese director of communications Reverend Mark Rudall told the Farnham Herald that the new Tory was "completely wrong" and added that the headline used by the Tory candidate was "exactly the kind of thing likely to breed a damaging sense of insecurity in readers". Rev. Rudall went on to "wholeheartedly condemn" what he said appeared to be the new Tory's "political gamesmanship".

Rev. Rudall confirmed that all church schools were safe with the Liberal Democrats and the other parties. He said: "Nobody has any intention of abandoning the highly successful Church of England schools we enjoy in the UK".

An apology was demanded from the new Tory candidate for his error and for the harm he had caused to our schools. He wrote to the nineteen headteachers whose schools he said were under threat the new Tory wrote: "No one believes that in practice the Liberal Democrats would seek to close down church schools".