Michael Gove pulls out of Sandwell trip

Education secretary Michael Gove has pulled out of a promised visit to Sandwell to discuss scrapping £138 million worth of rebuilding projects for local schools, the Express & Star can reveal.

He promised to visit the borough to apologise for a blunder which saw schools told their rebuilding or refurbishing schemes were safe, when in fact nine had been axed.

Bosses at Sandwell Council have now been asked to make the journey to Westminster after being told the MP could not commit to the planned August 5 visit.

Leader of the Labour-run authority, Councillor Darren Cooper, said he would take a delegation of council officers, school representatives and the deputy council leader, Councillor Steve Eling, for a meeting with Mr Gove on August 5.

He said: "If the mountain can't come to Sandwell, then Sandwell will go to the mountain."

"Obviously I am still pushing for him to come to Sandwell."

He added: "It is extremely disappointing because he said in Parliament that he will visit Sandwell and apologise personally to all the headteachers.

"I will be trying to impress on him that they want an apology and an explanation on how this decision was made.

"If we look at all the evidence and take the politics out of it, we have been treated shabbily."