Here are the cuts Theresa May tried to bury before f***ing off for the summer

Theresa May
Emily Apple


Parliament has closed for the summer. But before grabbing their buckets and spades and heading to the beach, the government used the last day of parliament to introduce yet more cuts.

Education

The nation’s schools are in crisis. Cuts to education budgets have meant schools having to cut teaching staff and mental health support, and having to hold lessons in leaking classrooms. Meanwhile, in some schools, teachers are using their own money or writing begging letters to parents for everyday teaching items like stationery.

A new funding formula for schools – though not the money schools desperately need – was touted as promising to relieve the burden.

But on the last day of parliament, schools minister Nick Gibb announced that the rollout of the new funding formula would be delayed for a year to “provide stability”. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner hit back at the announcement:

This delay to the Tories’ flagship school funding policy, which they tried to slip out unnoticed on the Commons’ last sitting day, is just the latest sign of a Government in chaos. The Chancellor and the Education Secretary both promised that their formula was a ‘guarantee’ that no school would face cash cuts.

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But that guarantee has proven as worthless as the rest of their promises.

Meanwhile, people are warning that the government’s unfunded public-sector pay rise will lead to even more education cuts:

Justice

The government also used the last day of parliament for a further assault on the beleaguered criminal justice system. To add to the crisis caused by legal-aid cuts, the government announced that seven courts are to close across England.

But while the government claimed it was because these courts aren’t providing value for money, the decision was slammed by The Law Society:

Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon also criticised the closures:

Criticism also came from other legal professionals:

The military

Just in case screwing over education and justice wasn’t enough, the government also announced cuts to two RAF bases. RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire and RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, will be sold by 2022.

The closure of Scampton was particularly criticised as it’s the home to the Red Arrows:

Happy holidays!

These cuts show austerity is alive and kicking in Tory Britain. Theresa May and her government should be hanging their heads in shame for trying to sneak them out on the last day of parliament. But they’re probably just off enjoying their holidays without a second thought for the people who have to live with the consequences of their actions.

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