Maria Hutchings, Conservative
candidate for Eastleigh 'has faith in Hampshire schools'
As reported in the Daily Echo
Maria Hutchings and
Theresa May
Conservative candidate Maria Hutchings says
she has “full confidence” in Hampshire's education system.
Mrs Hutchings praised the county's schools after coming under fire for
claiming that state education would not help her son become a heart surgeon.
As reported in today's Daily Echo, National Health Action Party
candidate, Dr Iain MacLennan, labelled Mrs Hutchings' remarks as “disgraceful”.
But the Tory candidate explained her comments today, as she continued
her by-election campaign by canvassing voters in Hedge End.
Speaking to the Daily Echo after visiting residents in Pudbrooke
Gardens, Mrs Hutchings said: “I've got four children. I went to state school,
my husband went to state school, my eldest daughter went to state school and my
next child went to state school.
“My daughter is on the list for Wildern or Wyvern in September,
so I have full confidence in the education here in Hampshire.
“My son is gifted - I needed to find the right place for him.
“When I was talking to the original journalist I was referring to when
he was five years old. I couldn't find the right provision for where I was
living at that time, not Eastleigh.
“I was telling the journalist that when my son was 12 years old, he had
a careers talk and they had a cardio-respiratory surgeon come down and he said
he wanted to be a cardio-respiratory surgeon. And it was nothing linked to state
schools.
“This is something that's been
mish-mashed together by somebody else.
“The fact that I've my youngest daughter on the list for Wildern or
Wyvern in September surely tells you what I think of local education here.”
Home Secretary Theresa May, who was on the campaign trail with Mrs
Hutchings in Hedge End this morning, said: “Parents will always have to make
decisions about what is right for their children.
“What we want to see across the whole of the state sector is ensuring
that they are providing education that is right for every child and education
that is rigorous.”
Mrs May also hit back at critics from opposition parties who claimed
that Mrs Hutchings has not lived in the constituency for as long as she has
suggested during her campaign.
She added: “Maria has been absolutely clear about how long she has lived
here. I've just been standing on a doorstep with her and she said to somebody
I've been here for five years.
“But what she has done over those five years is she has really fought
for local people, she has campaigned with them on issues, she has worked with
local charities, she has worked with local voluntary groups.
“She has shown that she is somebody who as a member of parliament would
really care about Eastleigh, take on the issues of people here, and I think, be
the best voice for Eastleigh.”
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