09/06/2010
Robin Walker, MP for Worcester, made his maiden parliamentary speech on Tuesday, 8th June. As is conventional for maiden speeches, Robin paid tribute to his predecessor, Mike Foster, describing him as "a fierce advocate for his party, a tireless campaigner for animal rights and a distinguished supporter of his Government."
He also mentioned the rich heritage of Worcester, its role as the ‘faithful city' during the English Civil War and long-standing representation in Parliament since the 13th century.
Robin indicated that one of his priorities as Worcester's MP is to campaign for fairer funding for the city's schools. He is a supporter of f40, a national group campaigning for fairer funding in education in England and has welcomed the government's plans to provide more money for poorer pupils saying:
"For opportunity to thrive everywhere we need fair funding in education. Today the average pupil in Worcestershire receives £370 less than the national average and a staggering £762 less than children in the neighbouring authorities of Birmingham, despite the fact that some parts of my constituency are among the 10 per cent most deprived areas in the country. I have high hopes for the coalition Government's pupil premium policy in addressing that issue."
Additionally, Robin brought to the House's attention the excellent progress made by the Tudor Grange Academy and welcomed the new government's plans to extend Academy freedoms to more schools, saying:
"To maximise opportunity, we need the best education to be available to all, and that is why I welcome the exciting reforms proposed by the Secretary of State for Education. We have already seen how academies can turn around the fortunes of failing schools and, in Worcester, the Tudor Grange academy is a shining example of that trend, so I welcome the decision to open up the opportunity of freer education to more schools in the area."
For the full text of Robin's maiden parliamentary speech, please see the Hansard website:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm100608/debtext/100608-0012.htm
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