Continued underinvestment in FE cannot be accepted

After the last 14 years of Tory misrule, we have all looked to the new Labour government to put an end to the awful underinvestment across FE in terms of wages, site investment and student funding. What we have seen and heard so far is hugely disappointing and we are looking for this to be rectified in upcoming budget statements. It is completely unjust for us to sit and watch teachers in pre-16 education be offered above inflation pay rises, whilst FE staff and students continue to be ignored. This disrespect will not be tolerated, and we will continue to fight this until we see change.

In order to help us keep up momentum and pressure in the first instance, we are asking you all to use the template letters available here to contact your local Labour MP and the Secretary of State for Education to demand action and support for this cause. Edit these if you would like to, but most importantly, make sure you send one. Even during this Summer break period, we want to make sure that the voices of our members are heard loud and clear, and we will build upon this from the start of the new academic year. I also want to say a huge thanks to members at Darlington College who drafted initial versions of these letters and started this grass-roots initiative.

The current situation cannot continue. We cannot see more talented staff leave, more staff burn out, and more students let down by ministers. The ball is in Labour's court. They must do better - and we must make them.