Tristram Hunt is on a crusade — to find Labour an education strategy. In today’s Daily Mirror, the new shadow education secretary takes a punt by offering up some fresh ideas, including a pledge to bring back the Education Maintenance Allowance for 16 to 19 year olds in further education. When it was canned in 2011, the EMA scheme had an annual budget of £560 million so how would Labour fund its return? By cutting back winter fuel allowance from rich pensioners:
‘Mr Hunt also wants to bring back the Education Maintenance Allowance to help teenagers from the poorest backgrounds stay in education. This could be paid for by stripping the wealthiest pensioners of the winter fuel allowance. Mr Hunt says: “A bit of rebalancing towards young people wouldn’t go amiss.’
However, the sums don’t add up. The most recent estimates from the Treasury suggest that withdrawing ‘winter fuel allowance from pensioners paying the top rates of tax’ would save £105 million.
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