Sir Simon under fire over school privatisation comments

Sir Simon suggests private firms should run schools

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Local Government Association chairman Sir Simon Milton has come under fire for saying that private firms should run schools.

The leaders of the LGA Labour and Liberal Democrat groups criticised the call by Sir Simon Milton for private sector companies to run schools at a profit.
 
Sir Jeremy Beecham, Labour group leader and Lib Dem group leader Richard Kemp said: "Simon Milton is entitled to his personal views, which interestingly do not seem to be shared by the Tory front bench.  But he has no authority to advance them on behalf of the LGA , especially when his views on this matter do not reflect LGA policy.  

Councils role to 'commission services'

"We reject his statement that the role of councils is 'merely to commission public services'.   In controversial matters of this kind we would expect the LGA chairman to consult other political leaders in the association, and in the absence of agreement to make it clear that he speaks in a personal capacity only.
 
"The association is supposed to work on consensus for all councils not just Conservative ones - that is the agreement we are committed to and that is how we hope the LGA can go forwards."