Teaching union claims extra £4bn for Send overhaul just ‘drop in bucket’ compared with what’s needed – UK politics live

Full details of government plans to be published this morning with reforms partly driven by move to contain soaring costsGood morning. Of all the government U-turns performed by Labour so far, it is arguable that the most serious was the decision to shelve plans to restrict some disability welfare payments. The U-turn left a £5bn hole in the government finances, but the controversy also massively damaged the government’s relations with disabled people and those who care about them, as well as raising doubts about whether it would ever have the ability to implement welfare-related reforms that might be unpopular with Labour MPs nervous about cost cutting.The government is not to going to return to the issue of overhauling the personal independence payment (Pip) under the end of a long review promised as part of the welfare benefits U-turn. But it is committed to reforming special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision in schools in England and, for ministers, this has been seen as the next potential flashpoint. Because the plans are driven in part by the need to contain soaring costs, parents fear they may lose out, and so the risk of a Labour rebellion has been a considerable. Continue reading...