Cllr Daisy Page, Councillor for Littlebrook ward in Dartford and Shadow Deputy Leader of Dartford Council, gave a passionate speech at Labour Conference to thousands of delegates and millions of viewers across the country, about the shortage of school places in Dartford for its residents.
Dartford Council’s youngest and first female Deputy Leader, spoke about her own constituents who have been allocated school places miles away from their homes, some being allocated school places in London Boroughs, just months after Kent County Council received nearly a total of 119 million pounds to meet the need for more school places across Kent.
Cllr Page said in her speech that ‘the smoke and mirrors of increased funding from the Department for Education to meet the need for more school places does not fool me, it doesn’t fool the people of Dartford and I know it does not fool you either, Conference’. After delivering her speech Cllr Page said ‘I am sure I looked a site waving a t-shirt in my hand and dancing to get the chairs attention during the Education debate today. However, I was determined to get up on that stage and speak to my fellow Delegates, Councillors, Ministers, to everyone watching – to let them know that we will continue to speak up for fellow Dartford residents and for better school place provision in the future’.
Cllr Jonathan Hawkes, Shadow Leader of Dartford Council said ‘I was very proud to see and hear Cllr Page speak today about the real issues that are effecting the education of children in Dartford, especially the lack of school places available locally’. Cllr Page’s speech came just hours after Gareth Johnson MP released a statement about the risk to Dartford schools caused by Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, as the newly elected Leader of the Labour Party. The Shadow Leader went on to say that ‘Dartford residents, but most importantly our children, have been let down by Kent County Council and this Conservative government.’
Kent County Councillor, Tom Maddison said ‘It was fantastic to see my fellow Littlebrook and Temple Hill Councillor putting Dartford on the party conference map this year. Daisy and I have worked hard to do all we can to help local residents who are suffering as a result of the lack of school places in Dartford. As a Kent County Councillor, I shall continue to do all I can to help residents at Kent County Council’.