Liberal Democrats are furious that a legitimate motion to council, calling for Durham’s Teaching Assistants not to be sacked, was removed from the council meeting agenda this week by council bosses.

Lib Dem Councillor Owen Temple submitted the motion, calling for the sacking of Teaching Assistants to be stopped rather than just suspended.

Liberal Democrats on Durham County Council have led the fight against savage cuts to the pay of Teaching Assistants in County Durham. Those cuts have ranged up to 23%.

From Day One, Liberal Democrat councillors sought to have the issue taken back to the negotiating table, but it took twelve months and the determined and imaginative resistance of Teaching Assistants to force the council to withdraw its ill thought out proposals and return to talks.

Even now, nobody knows whether this is a real change of heart, or just a stalling tactic.

Cllr Richard Ormerod said:

“Labour’s gagging order makes us even more suspicious that Labour are just kicking the issue into the long grass until after elections.”

One thing is certain, however. Liberal Democrats will continue to support Durham’s Teaching Assistants until a fair and financially neutral deal is on the table.