I am pleased that Tristram has decided to back our campaign, it demonstrates how important this issue is to Mums and Dads in Swindon. I hope that Cllr Renard and Mr Buckland will put aside their party politics and take this opportunity to work with me and save Swindon’s Children’s Centres.
Tristram Hunt, Shadow Education Secretary, today backed Anne Snelgrove’s campaign to save Swindon’s Children’s Centres.
We’re going to put the lights back on, get the kids back in and restore the founding purpose of Sure Start.
Anne has been campaigning to keep the Children’s Centres which are slated for closure on 30th March open for an extra 6 weeks until the outcome of the General Election is known. If Labour wins the General Election in May they will provide 25 hours free childcare to working parents of 3 and 4 year olds and will use buildings such as the Children’s Centres to provide these extra childcare places.
However, if the buildings are closed down and re-allocated, it will not be possible for the extra childcare places to be allocated there.
Anne Snelgrove, Labour’s candidate for South Swindon, said: “I am pleased that Tristram has decided to back our campaign, it demonstrates how important this issue is to Mums and Dads in Swindon.
I’m on the door step in Swindon every day and I keep on meeting parents who are worried about how to cope when the Children’s Centres are closed. I hope that Cllr Renard and Mr Buckland will put aside their party politics and take this opportunity to work with me and save Swindon’s Children’s Centres.”
Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary said: “Sure Start was one of the greatest achievements of the last Labour government but, under the Tories, there are hundreds fewer while others have reduced services and opening hours.
“We’re going to put the lights back on, get the kids back in and restore the founding purpose of Sure Start.
“We’ll be campaigning to ensure that families in Swindon are given access to Sure Start services, services that they deserve.”