“Just Be Honest!” Nursery Manager Grills Children’s Minister Over Funding

27 November 2018, 21:43 | Updated: 27 November 2018, 21:47

The Children’s Minister was told to “just be honest” as he was grilled by a nursery manager over government funding for early years.

Sanjay, who operates in Harrow, west London, told Nadhim Zahawi nurseries had seen their fundings cut in real terms over recent years.

“How do you expect nurseries and early years professionals to deliver quality child care to three and four-year-olds when the government is not increasing that inline with inflation?” Sanjay asked during an LBC phone-in on Wednesday.

“It’s having a detrimental effect on nurseries’ sustainability,” he added.

The Tory minister admitted funding was a “challenge” - but insisted there was enough availability in the system.

But, it was as he tried to swerve pressure to admit there’d been a real terms funding cut that Sanjay hit back.

“I think minister you just have to be really honest and say ‘yes the funding rate hasn’t increased and in real terms that’s a cut’ that’s all you have to say,” the caller said.

“Even my three-year-old with minimal maths education knows something is bigger than something else, and here it’s not.

“You just have to be honest, that’s all you have to be.”

Watch above.