Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner has joined forces with 15 North West MPs to demand urgent action in the Autumn Budget to halt the school funding crisis.

Along with James Frith (Bury North), Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South), Sir David Crausby (Bolton North East), Yvonne Fovargue (Makerfield), Ann Coffey (Stockport), Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston), Jim McMahon (Oldham West and Royton), Liz McInnes (Heywood and Middleton), Lucy Powell (Manchester Central), Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish), Jonathan Reynolds (Stalybridge and Hyde), Jo Platt (Leigh), Mike Kane (Wythenshawe and Sale East), Jeff Smith (Manchester Withington) and Ivan Lewis (Bury South), Angela has written to Education Secretary Damian Hinds.

The MPs call on Mr Hinds to support six steps to address the funding crisis which has seen an eight percent cut in real terms per pupil funding since 2010.

The six steps are:-

• Reverse school cuts immediately
• New money from the Treasury to cope with inflation, cost increases and rising pupil numbers
• High needs, Early Years and Post 16 education to be fairly funded
• Create a five year funding plan to help schools cope with rising pupil numbers and increasing costs
• Address historic underfunding
• Fully fund and implement pay rises to ensure schools and colleges are not forced to make cuts to give staff the rise they are due

The 16 MPs end their collaborative letter to Mr Hinds by saying: “We hope you will support these reasonable requests and ensure that our schools and staff receive the funding they need to ensure that all children and young people have the best possible education.”