Liz Truss has pitched herself as the “education prime minister” with a plan that includes replacing failing academies with “a new wave of free schools” and improving maths and literacy standards.
The Tory leadership hopeful, whose endorsement by party heavyweights has added to the sense she is pulling ahead of rival Rishi Sunak in the race for No 10, unveiled a six-point strategy on Saturday “to get Britain’s education system back on track”.
In an often-repeated line of her leadership campaign, Ms Truss said she saw “first hand how children were failed and let down by low expectations” during her comprehensive state schooling in Leeds.
The remarks have previously drawn criticism from political leaders in the city, and former pupils and staff of her former school, the Roundhay School.
Ms Truss, a former minister for education and childcare, also pledged to drive up the quality of maths teaching and meet the “target for 90% of primary children to reach the expected standard in literacy and numeracy”.
This Tory councillor who was in the year below Liz isn’t standing for her comments.
He told ITV’s Robert Peston why.
Related: There are some great reactions to a picture of Liz Truss thinking
