Labour’s manifesto pledges to scrap the free schools programme, committing to not “waste money on inefficient free schools”. Not much of a surprise, though it is not ideal for the Labour candidate in Bexhill and Battle. Christine Bayliss is a former DfE mandarin who now runs a consultancy advising on setting up new free schools. Her company CBECS helps new academies and free schools set up:

“Whether you need to provide evidence of stakeholder engagement for your free school application, community support to enable a funding agreement to be signed or parent and stakeholder support for your academy plans, C:BECS can help.  We will develop a tailored solution that not only meets your needs but your budget too.”

Almost as if Christine knows her company is safe…