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