Still a long way to go yet, but a sliver of good Pilgrim news in today’s Times Education Supplement:

“Despite widespread austerity cuts, local authorities still spend millions of pounds subsidising the education unions – but some cash-strapped councils are reducing their funding by as much as 50 per cent, it can be revealed. New research by TES has revealed that local authorities spent more than £8.5 million on facility time for the education unions in 2011-12. But many of the 90 local authorities who responded, out of a total of 152, revealed significant cuts to their facility time budgets.

Rotherham has, for example, cut its funding by almost half, from £112,000 in 2010-11 to £57,000 the following year. Oldham Council cut its facility time budget by £23,000 in the same period, amounting to a 29 per cent reduction. Other authorities reporting considerable cuts included Buckinghamshire (15 per cent), Hertfordshire (14 per cent) and Bolton (13 per cent).”

Where is our promised consultation please Mr Maude?