Nick on a visit last year to Benfield, one of many schools in Newcastle to benefit from Labour's BSF funding

In September, Nick went to Walker Technology College to see their new Cadet Centre. Walker Tech was one of only six schools across the country to be awarded the scheme two years ago, and, together with the Walker Councillors, Nick fought hard to get the original funding for it. That’s not the only way the school has benefited from recent increases in Government spending.

This week the Children’s Department announced a further £1bn for extra school places and new school buildings through Labour’s Building Schools for the Future programme. Together with Benfield School, West Jesmond Primary, and many other schools across Newcastle, Walker Tech has benefited from the biggest sustained period of school building for decades.

In total, the £22bn allocated through Building Schools for the Future across the country means that more money is being spent rebuilding schools in the current three years than during the entire eighteen years of the last Conservative Government.

As part of moves to boost the economy and increase spending on construction back in March, the Government offered councils the chance to bring forward the schools rebuilding money. In common with Lib Dem run authorities across the country, Newcastle City Council refused. If the Council had got their act together then this year’s school upgrades in Newcastle could have come even earlier.

David Cameron’s Tories have already promised to slash £4bn of the BSF budget if they were to form the next Government. The Conservative approach is echoed by the right wing Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg who has called for “savage cuts”. The Lib Dems won’t guarantee schools funding, or anything else, saying only that “everything should be justified from first principles” and that “they’ve all got to be looked at”. That means everything from the Winter Fuel Payment to nurses wages is under threat.

In difficult economic times, the right thing to do is to invest in our schools, and continue to build for the future. Labour is the only party which will offer that choice.

Nick with Sarah and the Tiger Who Came to Tea

Sarah Brown paid a visit to Seven Stories, the Centre for Children’s Books on Friday, visiting the region as a guest of Minister for the North East, Nick Brown.  The Prime Minister’s wife was given an exclusive tour of the museum’s exhibition galleries and Bookshop by Chief Executive Kate Edwards.

The visit was Sarah’s only cultural engagement in the North East, and gave her the opportunity to experience first hand the pioneering work Seven Stories does, helping to preserve our rich heritage of British children’s books and manuscripts to engage families, young people and their carers in a unique exploration of creativity, literature and art.

Nick Brown, MP for Newcastle East said said: “Seven Stories, the Centre for Children Books in East Newcastle is a national treasure. There is nothing like it elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Friday’s visit by Sarah Brown was a wonderful chance to show our city at its best.”

Kate Edwards, Chief Executive of Seven Stories added: “Seven Stories is showing that children’s books matter.  They matter because children who enjoy books are more likely to lead fulfilled lives and they matter because Britain has a rich and wonderful heritage of writing and illustration for children.

“It was a pleasure to welcome Sarah Brown and Nick Brown MP to Seven Stories so that they could see for themselves the ground-breaking work that we are doing here in Newcastle to celebrate children’s books and its important place in childhood.”

Seven Stories is the first museum in the UK dedicated to the art of children’s books and the creativity they inspire. Housed in a converted Victorian mill in the Ouseburn Valley, it is a national home for children’s books, showing how books are made, bringing them to life for visitors through lively exhibitions and events.

Nick said: “The enthusiasm and commitment to the Church High Junior School Council is really impressive. I think it’s great that young people are being encouraged to debate issues that matter to the school and to learn how a democracy works through an election process. Every election campaign requires thought and planning, encouragement and persuasion. I have nothing but praise for this exciting initiative.”

Nick with Headmaster Steve Gater during his trip to Walker Tech

At the start of the new term Nick visited Walker Technology College to see their Ministry of Defence cadet training centre. Walker Tech was one of only six schools nationwide to be awarded the scheme two years ago, and Nick was delighted to see how well the scheme is working.

Nick and Cllr David Wood, the Chairman of the School’s Governors, had previously lobbied Government Defence Ministers to see the centre awarded to Walker Tech. Nick said “We worked really hard to get the centre here, and it was great to visit and see how well things are coming along.”

Walker Tech has also been one of several schools across Newcastle to benefit from renovation works as part of the £22bn Building Schools for the Future programme, the biggest school rebuilding project ever.

Nick being interviewed by students from Sacred Heart School as part of the Media Experience Programme

On Friday Nick attended the launch of Media Experience, a new project run at the Chronicle offices in central Newcastle. The scheme aims to give school groups from around the North East a hands-on guide to life in the media industry. It has a lot to offer in teaching young people about the press, while also helping with numeracy, literacy and IT skills. Nick was interviewed by Newcastle students who were then able to draw up a mock Chronicle front page setting out their scoop.

Nick said: “I am hugely enthusiastic about this project, and I was delighted to be invited along. The media is a very strong and growing industry and this facility will provide a very valuable service.”

Nick with students and staff from Benfield School

Students and staff from Benfield school visited Parliament today, and were able to question Nick on his work as their constituency MP. Following a tour the pupils were able to watch some of the debates in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, then took part in a question and answer session with Nick in one of the Parliament committee rooms.

As part of the Government’s efforts to support local businesses and jobs through the recession, millions of pounds of spending on school buildings and repairs are being brought forward from 2010/11 to 2009/10.

Every school in Newcastle will benefit with £1,684,455 of funding brought forward from next year to this year – making a total of £5,895,593 of spending this year. The funding will go direct to headteachers and schools can choose how to spend the money as they see fit, from building new classrooms or science laboratories to fitting out new gyms or ICT facilities.

However, Lib Dem controlled Newcastle City Council has not bid to bring forward spending for bigger school building projects which has been offered to every local authority in the country. Up to £3,524,168 of spending could have been brought forward.

Nick Brown MP said: “I hope local schools will get on and spend the money – not just to improve facilities for pupils but to support small businesses and jobs in our area too.

“I’m shocked that the Lib Dems on Newcastle Council have not taken up the Government’s offer to bring forward spending on school building projects co-ordinated by the Council.

“The Lib Dems in Newcastle should be supporting the Government’s efforts to increase spending this year to boost the economy. It’s wrong that local schools and businesses will miss out. Newcastle Council should think again.”

There is great support for providing a greater variety of safe, child friendly areas in our community, and creating accessible and interesting spaces for children to play. The council will now be expected to consult with the local community so that people can say where they think the play areas are most needed.

This is all part of the wider Government plan to help the country through the economic downturn. A 15 month cut in VAT will help shops balance their books, and help consumers when those savings are passed on. The income tax threshold is being raised, helping every basic rate tax payer. A total of £2.5bn of capital projects for schools, housing and transport are being brought forward to help provide jobs right now. The Government is determined to keep the economy moving and keep people in work wherever possible.

We all remember the job losses which were brought to Tyneside when the recession of the 1980s was allowed to run its course. By taking action now the Government is working to make sure that we come out of this downturn sooner and stronger. It is the right thing to do, and even more so when it comes with additional benefits for our city.

This term alone more than 180 new schools are opening across the country, more than at any time in the last thirty years. The rebuilt schools already open, including in Newcastle, have seen average rises in pupil achievement of more than 10% over the past year.

Within Newcastle East, this has seen a new Walkergate Primary school, the first phase of the complete refurbishment of Benfield School, as well as the total rebuilding of West Jesmond Primary. This investment means that our youngsters are benefiting from state of the art facilities and reduced class sizes, to complement the 1000’s of extra teachers and teaching assistants.

Nick has seen at first hand the effect this has had within our local schools and as every teacher, child and parent knows, going to school in a brand new building which is designed for the 21st century can make all the difference.

As the Bishop of Newcastle, myself, the Headmaster, the Governors, staff and students of the school belt out Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, we ask ourselves “Are we doing the best we can for today’s school students, tomorrow’s citizens?”

Just before Parliament rose for the Christmas Recess, the Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, announced a total budget of £1billion, allocated to the Government’s Children’s Plan

Labour’s Children’s Plan aims to make the UK the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. It follows months of consultation with parents, teachers, professionals, as well as children and young people themselves.

5 principles underpin the plan: 

• government does not bring up children – parents do – so government needs to do more to back parents and families;
• all children have the potential to succeed and should go as far as their talents can take them;
• children and young people need to enjoy their childhood as well as grow up prepared for adult life;
• services need to be shaped by and responsive to children, young people and families, not designed around professional boundaries;
• and it is always better to prevent failure than tackle a crisis later.

In 1997 the Labour Party said its priorities were “Education, education, education.” Tremendous advances have been made over the last ten years, and we haven’t stopped yet. A Christmas Carol service is as good a place as any to reflect on what we are doing and why.