Having u-turned on keeping primary schools in London open, Paul Follows and the local Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to extend this to all schools in Tier 4, including here in Waverley.

Lib Dem Paul Follows, Deputy Leader of Waverley Borough Council, said:

"The science is clear and the UK Government are ignoring their own scientific advisors. They need to act decisively now and I will be doing everything I can to persuade them to do so."

Waverley Borough Council, jointly run by the Liberal Democrats, wrote to Conservative-run Surrey County Council and its leader, Cllr Tim Oliver, urging them to use whatever influence they have to make the same case.

Paul added:

"Seeing the actions of Councils such as Brighton and Hove, the Executive of Waverley Brough Council wrote to the equivalent authority locally - Surrey County Council - urging them to step in.

"Sadly, it looks like we might be talking to a brick wall again as to paraphrase their response - 'it's a government issue'.

"It is simply not good enough for them be abdicating their responsibility, as our local education authority, and to sit on their hands like this. Instead, both the County Council and our Conservative MP should be using their influence to keep children and staff safe.

"The responsible course of action from Surrey leaders would have been to put their school communities first and advise them to close temporarily.

"Instead, they have joined the government in being a body of inaction and delay, continuing the staggering disappointment, dissatisfaction and lack of leadership that is Surrey County Council."

Well said @ZoeFranklinLD and likewise very happy to the same support to local school leaders who make the same decision here in #SouthWestSurrey #Godalming #Farnham #Haslemere https://t.co/vcpFi00PqK

— Cllr. Paul David Follows 🔸🇪🇺🇬🇧 (@PaulDFollows) January 4, 2021