I would lift ban on new grammar schools, says Jenrick
Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, is currently the favourite to succeed Rishi Sunak as the Tory leader
Robert Jenrick has said he would lift the ban on opening new grammar schools if he becomes Tory leader and wins the next general election.
The ban was introduced under the previous Labour government. Lord Cameron declined to reverse it when prime minister. Baroness May, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak all supported doing so, but were unable to deliver the policy.
Asked whether he would scrap the ban, Mr Jenrick told Chopper’s Political Podcast: “Yes. My constituents enjoy grammar schools in Lincolnshire. I am a strong supporter of grammar schools.”
Mr Jenrick also said he would reverse Labour’s decision to impose VAT on private school fees.
The former immigration minister is the front-runner to succeed Mr Sunak. He came top of the second round of voting by Tory MPs this week, with 33 votes, followed by Kemi Badenoch, the former business secretary, on 28.
James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat both received 21 votes, while Mel Stride, the former work and pensions secretary, was eliminated after coming last with 16.
The four remaining candidates will head to the Conservative Party annual conference later this week to lay out their pitch to be party leader. Tory MPs will then whittle down the list to two in October, before Conservative members pick the winner.
It comes as Mr Cleverly, the former home secretary and foreign secretary, claimed he had “outperformed everyone else on this leadership ticket” in an interview.
Speaking to the BBC’s Nick Robinson for his Political Thinking podcast, Mr Cleverly said: “I’ve outperformed all the other runners and riders by a country mile – outperformed almost everyone else in my parliamentary intake. If you Tipp-Exed the words James Cleverly off my political CV and slid it across the desk, you’d look at it and go: ‘Bloody hell.’”
The Tory conference is expected to feature each leadership candidate giving a speech for 20 minutes and taking part in a question and answer session on stage in front of members.
