The Tories have wasted no time in ignoring the huge developments made by society in recent years but also by the Labour government in understanding the link to and role our schools play in our communities. They continue to ignore the need for families and family life to be a consideration alongside our children’s education and the role of a good society.

The first thing Mr Gove did – day one, he renamed the Department of Children, Schools and Families the Department of Education. This is more than a name change – this is a game change. Mr Gove, in this instant, ignores the inseparable link between a responsibility to educate our children in good new schools whilst looking after them and supporting their families, across society. Labour brought in sure start, the extended school day, increased school leaving age, improved enormously the number of young people getting the opportunity to go to university and oversaw record numbers of those taking vocational courses in school – courses designed not just to educate our young people but seeking to prepare them for the workplace – rise to over 540,000 in 2009.

In towns like Bury North, and across the country, young people particularly face uncertainty – they are uncertain of employment prospects, unsure of their career future and often competing with hundreds of other young people for each job they apply for. They face a complicated series of issues at a time when cuts are wrongly seen as the simplest way forward by this ConDem government.

Time and time again, we see the same problem. The Tories don’t do complexity. Why should they need to understand the link between safeguarding our children and making sure they receive one to one support for social, economic and educational wellbeing when they refuse even to accept the need to rebuild 700 schools across the country or proceed with free school meals programmes for our most vulnerable children – far simpler to slash these Labour commitments and turn away; preferring instead to re-direct the money to an ill-thought-out, elite-biased, I’m-all-right-Jack programme of ‘free’ schools. These schools will not be free. They will be paid for at the expense of mainstream schools and children across the country not fortunate enough to catch the eye of the secretary of state as he casts a selective view over his narrowed department and narrow-minded view of what an education for all should mean.

For here is a man that takes a class eyed view on our education system. One that says ‘You will be my doctor. And you will make my dinner.’ But I say, as a member of the Labour party, as a renewed labour movement and as a government in waiting we should proclaim: ‘Mr Gove; You are making mistakes and we will correct your errors.’

I am the Labour candidate for Elton in Bury North next May for the local elections. Earlier this year we reduced this Tory ward majority vote from 600 to 200. With work and the support from people across Elton, I hope to help Labour win in Bury and take back control of the council in May 2011.