CAMPAIGNERS are to take to the streets of Southampton over claims schools are facing funding cuts.

The city branch of the Fair Funding for All Schools campaign will march from the Bargate next Saturday.

More than 43,000 people across the country have signed a national petition calling for Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening to “stop school funding cuts.”

It comes as the Conservative party launched their 2017 manifesto in which the Prime Minister pledged that no school will face a cut in its finances.

Theresa May said the Conservatives would “make sure that no school has its budget cut as a result of the new formula”.

But organiser of the FFAS march Nick Chaffey said it was “misleading” and that schools would still lose out.

Southampton City Council’s education boss Councillor Darren Paffey, also the Labour election candidate in Romsey, said: “The Tory funding commitment today falls well short of what is needed to address school budget cuts and does not match Labour’s commitment of £6.3billion extra for schools.

“Theresa May’s government has underfunded schools, and she now plans to scrap free infant school meals to plug the gaps left by her own real-terms budget cuts, but it still won’t be enough, and in many cases schools will still be forced to cut teaching staff or narrow the curriculum.

“Labour’s plans will give schools the funding they need, and will make the new funding formula truly fair by ensuring no school loses out. While the Tories are taking lunches away from. We will also introduce free school meals for all primary school pupils so that no child goes hungry and no child is at a disadvantage.”

A statement from the National Union of Teachers called the Conservative pledge “an inadequate response” and said: “Schools already need £2.2 billion more just to cover the impact of inflation and cost increases imposed by the Government since it was elected just two years ago.”

Independent candidate for the Southampton Test constituency in the election Andrew Pope disputed the fact the FFAS campaign is parent-led.

He said: “It is clear this is a Tory-Government-bashing campaign and is pro-Labour and the unions. And it is all about giving extra money to schools.

“Its the same old Labour-bashing Tories and Labour blaming the Tories. Parents have had enough of that.

“Adding the fact that they are organising a march, and they discussed adding the NHS to it.

“I think it is pretty clear what we are talking about here.”