Burnham backs ‘Save EMA’ campaign

By Mark Ferguson / @markfergusonuk

Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham has today backed the Save EMA campaign. In a statement released this afternoon, Burnham said:

“EMA is one of the things I am most proud of that we did as a Government, it was designed to help young people stay on in education and fulfil their hopes, ambitions and aspirations and it particular had a big impact in areas where staying on rates were lowest.”

“I saw so many of my friends not going to post 16 education because they basically said ‘well I can’t afford it, my mum and dad couldn’t support me’, and when EMA came along it changed all of that it said very clearly to people that Higher Education is for you, we will help you fulfil your potential.”

“It is utterly disgraceful really that the Government have just said that they will chop it; David Cameron, Michael Gove both gave absolutely clear commitments before the election that they would keep EMA and the fact that they have gone back on that word I think will be seen as a bitter betrayal of young people.”

“EMA was a great policy, it really helped lift aspiration particular of young people from the least well off backgrounds.”

London and the North West are the regions of the country which will suffer most from the abolition of EMA With almost 200,000 recipients between them. It is also the poorest parts of the regions worst affected, for example: in London, East London boroughs such as Newham and Tower Hamlets have over ten thousand recipients together, compared to Richmond-Upon-Thames and Kensington and Chelsea which only have over 900 each and City Of London with only 27 recipients.

James Mills, founder of the Save EMA campaign said:

“We are very grateful for Andy Burnham’s support, and the Labour party on the whole supports our campaign, but we have been contacted by Lib Dem, and Conservative supporters since the CSR who share are view that EMA should not be axed”.

Update: Burnham has recorded the following video in support of the campaign.