Cllr Howard Jones, Leader of the Conservative Group, hit back today against misleading and scaremongering claims by the Lib Dems over an issue which affects education in the Borough.

The Lib Dems claim that the Conservatives will close Coombe County Girls’ School.  This is manifestly untrue.  They say that by supporting the residents in North Kingston in their right to have a secondary school provided by Kingston Council available and accessible for their children will threaten the future of Coombe’

We are accused of playing politics when all we are doing is defending the rights of parents for choice.  It was Susan Kramer MP who only a few weeks ago said that Kingston children attending schools in Richmond was a situation which could not be tolerated.  She is now saying exactly the opposite and Cllr Osbourne has often supported various working parties which have tried to make the case for a new school.

There is no threat to other schools in the Borough.  The only problem for parents in the rest of the Borough is that the schools they want to send their children to are over subscribed. At the moment children who live as close to Coombe Girls’ School as Motspur Park have difficulty getting a place.  Another school in the north of the Borough would ease this problem which blights parents at this time every year.

 Cllr Howard Jones said, “I am amazed that we are accused of playing politics – all we are doing is supporting the parents in North Kingston in their wish to have a proper choice for their children and with better choices for them will come better choices for the rest of the Borough’s children. The LibDems are just wrong and short sighted.”