THE impact of Brexit and the possibility of new grammar schools coming to the city dominated a council meeting held last night.

City councillors voted against the grammar school policies, and Liberal Democrat and Labour councillors together forced- through a motion telling the joint Conservative and Lib Dem administration to write to the government opposing selective schooling.

It was proposed by Lib Dem councillor Ann Reid, who said that while no one in the country was calling for the reintroduction of secondary moderns, bringing back selective school would inevitably bring back a “divisive two-tier system”.

She accused Tory politicians who back the policy of seeing grammar schools through “rose tinted glasses” when the schools’ glory days in fact lay in a time when most children left school at 14, and went into manual jobs.

York Press:

Selective schools would results in children being forced out of their area, she warned, and would see children’s education to be dictated by the results of one exam at the age of 11.

York can be rightly proud of its education system, Cllr Reid said, but the key to improving it lies not in introducing selection but in getting a fairer funding deal for the city’s schools.

The motion was also backed by Labour politicians, but not by Conservatives who criticised it for focusing on national policies.

Council leader David Carr accused people who oppose grammar schools of not caring about “bright poor kids” who would stand no chance under the “political dogma of the liberal left”, and for leaving in place the current system with “selection by the wallet”.

The motion asks council staff to take part in a Government consultation and oppose grammar schools, and once it had passed education executive member Cllr Stewart Rawlings said he would speak to both MPs about calls for them to oppose the policy in Parliament.

Earlier in the meeting Cllr Carr had clashed with other members over Brexit, saying the UK economy had prospered after Brexit despite the warnings of “Bremoaners” and the falling pound was a sign that the currency would “take the strain” in turbulent times.

Labour group leader Janet Looker challenged his view, saying that while it may be nice to see a influx of tourists attracted by the weak pound, many York residents would be hit when the cost of living goes into a “gentle but inexorable rise”.

The same meeting saw environment boss Andrew Waller tell councillors that, after a row with York Civic Trust over litter in the streets, they had reached an agreement on improvements.

The council will soon look at introducing recycling facilities on city centre streets, he added, so some of litter from fast food outlets could be kept away from landfill.

Other motions passed calling for more information on the mergers proposed between North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and Humberside, or between North Yorkshire’s fire and police services; and calling for the city council leaders to fight central government for a better funding deal for York.