Wednesbury councillor Elaine Costigan quits over school row

Sep 5 2010 by Anuji Varma, Sunday Mercury

A TORY councillor who defected to Labour has revealed how Ed Balls phoned her moments after she resigned to praise her “gutsy” decision.

Elaine Costigan, deputy leader of the Conservative group in Sandwell, quit over Government cuts to the Building Schools for the Future programme.

She officially resigned on Friday night, and moments later heard from the Shadow Education secretary who praised her actions.

The Wednesbury councillor told the Sunday Mercury: “It was a surprise when I got a call from Ed Balls but I was talking to him like I’d known him for years.

“He told me that he thought I had guts to do what I had, and that maybe the Tories would realise now how serious this whole schools fiasco really is.”

Coun Costigan was furious after nine schools in Sandwell were told by Education Secretary Michael Gove that funding would be slashed, despite promising a day earlier that they were safe.

Mr Gove failed to come to the borough in person to apologise for the blunder, even though he had pledged to Sandwell Council leader Darren Cooper that he would.

Coun Costigan added: “This community has been treated with utter contempt by the government over the slashing of the school building programme.

‘‘And when Michael Gove backed out of his promise to come and apologise to the parents, pupils and staff he had so badly let down, I felt ashamed to be a Conservative.