Research released by the Labour Party today has revealed the shocking level of Sure Start cuts and closures over the past two and a half years. Before the last election, Cameron said:
‘We back Sure Start. It’s a disgrace that Gordon Brown has been trying to frighten people about this. He’s the Prime Minister of this country but he’s been scaring people about something that really matters.”
It sounds like Gordon Brown was right…
Here are the standout numbers from Labour’s research:
401
fewer Sure Start centres there are than there were in May 2010 thanks to closures and mergers
20%
of Sure Start centres are charging for services that were formerly free
76
Sure Start centres closed by just three Tory councils – Lincolnshire, Hampshire and Cornwall
126
the number of Sure Start centres cut in London
£431,844,582
the amount (in today’s prices) that Sure Start budgets (including capital expenditure) have been slashed since 2010/11
33.6%
that’s the total budget cut for Sure Start (in today’s prices)
55%
of Sure Start centres no longer provide any onsite childcare
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