Labour's new education spokesman has said he backs the setting up of "free schools", signalling a significant shift in policy from his predecessor.

But the Wirral Tory group education spokesman is finding the restraint hard to abide.

He became the Labour Party's deputy chief whip and education spokesman in the House of Lords.

It was the first opening day in 16 years that more than one million students were registered, said Frank Sobrino, a board of education spokesman.

Among those who followed was the party's education spokesman, introduced as Dr Bevan Morris.

Her education spokesmen say the blueprint is based largely on American models.

The position of Phil Willis, the education spokesman at the time, was summarised as:

Jack Straw, Labour's education spokesman, described the claims as nonsense.

He is education spokesman for the Liberal Democrat county council group and chaired the Under 5's Committee during 1990-1991.

From 2003 to 2006 he was COSLA's education spokesman.