THE LEADER of Harlow Labour has questioned MP Robert Halfon’s most recent comments on careers advice in schools.

Councillor Chris Vince said: “I usually try to avoid commenting on education items in Your Harlow as they tend to make me see red but I couldn’t ignore the recent article in which the current Conservative MP waxes lyrical about the importance of careers advice in schools.

Even by his usual standards this takes the hypocrisy of Mr Halfon soaring, or is it plummeting, to new levels. It is under the tenure of his government that careers advice in schools was massively cut in the first place. Along with hugely damaging cuts to LSAs and teachers themselves.

Mind you these sort of misleading statements shouldn’t come as any surprise. In the same week he made an announcement about apprenticeships his own Tory led council in Harlow was forced to cut apprenticeship places due to over a decade of funding cuts from his Government.

“We are all very familiar with his frequent and unfulfilled claims about bringing a new, fully funded, fully staffed hospital to Harlow yet in the same month as one of his many pronouncements on that subject he recently wrote to universities threatening to fine them if they over subscribed on much needed Doctor training places.

“Why? Because this would cost his government money they’d rather waste on dodgy contracts for their donor mates or on half-baked and expensive immigration policies in a desperate attempt to look like they’re tackling a problem of their own making, designed to whip up division and hatred as a distraction from their litany of failures.

Despite talking a good game surely even Harlow’s current MP can see the effect Conservative austerity has had on the long term education and future prospects of our towns young people, or perhaps he has his head buried in the sand like he did when it came to voting about his disgraced former leader Mr Johnson, a man he was happy to enthusiastically laud and support on numerous occasions!

Is he really working hard for Harlow or are the constraints of his Ministerial position, and the gag that places on him, preventing him from really representing the views of Harlow residents?

“It’s time for a change, time for a Labour government which will put Harlow’s next generation first. That would definitely be one of my priorities”.