A POLITICAL row has erupted after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a £14 billion package for schools.

The cash boost from the Government aims to ‘level up’ per pupil funding across the country and includes £700 million for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

It has been welcomed by Andy Carter, Conservative parliamentary candidate for Warrington South.

He says the extra funding will mean that every secondary school in Warrington will receive a minimum of £5,000 per pupil next year and every primary school will get a minimum of £4,000 per pupil from 2021-22.

He added: “I have repeatedly called for action to close the funding gap between Warrington and other schools across the country.

“As a school governor I know the challenges faced by individual schools in the area vary greatly from rural schools, small schools or schools in more deprived areas.

“I am delighted that the Prime Minister has delivered on his pledge to level up per pupil funding across the country.

“I’ll continue to campaign for better facilities for our schools so every child has the best start and we properly fund our schools.”

But Warrington South MP Faisal Rashid labelled it as a ‘manipulative election bribe’ by a leader ‘with no integrity’.

The Labour politician also says school budgets in his constituency are at ‘breaking point’.

“After nine years of Tory rule, a third of our schools have already cut teaching jobs because of the funding crisis, half have cut support staff and a quarter are going cap in hand to parents,” said Mr Rashid.

“Hidden in the fine print of this announcement is also a two-year delay.

“And while the numbers might at first glance look big, they don’t in fact cover the drastic real term cuts or increase in pupil numbers, let alone improve matters.

“This is simply not good enough: head teachers in my constituency need this funding now, not smoke and mirrors.”