Justine Greening blasts Labour MPs for opposing grammars despite sending their children to selective schools

LABOUR has been accused of “rank hypocrisy” for opposing new grammar schools despite Shadow Ministers sending their children to selective schools.

In her keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference this afternoon the Education Secretary Justine Greening attacked Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign against the policy.

The Labour leader, who himself went to a grammar school, is leading his party’s opposition to the Government’s education plans and was taken to task this afternoon.

Ms Greening said it is “classic Labour: do as I say . . . not as I do”.

She said: “We talk about postcode lotteries….

“But unless you can afford to move to the right area, education has been the ultimate postcode lottery.

“That’s why our green paper is asking how we can create more great school places in more parts of the country, including selective places.

“I talked about having a level playing field.

“Grammar schools have a track record of closing the attainment gap between children on free school meals and their better off classmates.

“That’s because in grammars, those children on free school meals progress twice as fast as the other children, so the gap disappears.

“And 99% of grammars schools are rated good or outstanding.

“But in spite of this, Labour’s approach to grammars is: close these schools down.