England: Promise of £10bn Schools Spending Rise and 20,000 Extra Teachers By Liberal Democrats

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England: As key pledges in the party’s manifesto, the Liberal Democrats have promised to increase schools spending by more than £10bn a year within the next parliament, and recruit 20,000 more teachers.

Manifesto launch in London on Wednesday has seen it slip from close to 20% in the polls to about 15% and this investment plan is an attempt by Jo Swinson to introduce new impulse into the party’s election campaign.

For the Liberal Democrats, the free school meals programme is particularly reverberating, as in the coalition government under David Cameron it was key party policy to make these universal for younger junior school students.

The main teaching union welcomed the schools spending programme, and would involve an immediate increase of £4.6bn next year, to address cuts since 2010. The Liberal Democrats would be committing £10.6bn a year more on schools than in the 2019/20 financial year, the increase would gradually rise until 2024/25.

The Treasury allocates public spending at set proportions across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,  which comes under the Barnett formula, another £2bn would be spent on this by 2024/25.

Over the five years, the extra funding would be used in part to boost the number of teachers by 20,000 with incentives including a rise in starting salaries to £30,000 and at least 3% a year over the parliament guaranteed annual pay rise.

To support children with disabilities or special educational needs and disabilities there would be plan to  boost and for professional development for teachers and the party would commit £7bn over five years for schools infrastructure separately.

Swinson said, “This is an investment in our children’s future. Our schools should be world class, helping every child make the most of the challenges ahead. But instead, they are trailing behind.”

Kevin Courtney, the joint head of the National Education Union, which represents the majority of teachers, welcomed the funding pledges, but warned they “do not seem to fill the hole in special needs funding or restore the value of the pupil premium”.