Conservatives would reform Sure Start

A future Conservative government would make Sure Start work more
smoothly with other children’s services, said shadow secretary of
state for the family Theresa May.

“We are not going to throw Sure Start away but we will need to look
at how it could work better,” she said.

The programme had significant problems, such as moving child care
workers away from areas such as health visiting and nurseries, she
said.

“It is noticeable in areas where there is Sure Start that other
provision – public and private – has closed,” May said.

She added that the Conservatives would consider ways to make the
programme work with other services.

She said the party would publish details of a better deal for
carers by Christmas.

Child carers, in particular, experienced problems and were often
bullied because their lives were different, she said.

Meanwhile, Labour’s policy of closing schools for children with
special needs would be scrapped, said shadow education secretary
Tim Collins.

In a speech about the party’s education policy, he said the Tories
would focus on the most vulnerable children, reversing Labour’s
inclusive education drive.

“Some benefit from mainstream education, many do not. We must have
diversity,” Collins said, pledging to make an “immediate order” for
closures to end.