Blair's off-the-cuff 誓約（する） would cost ￡17 billion

by TONY HALPIN, Daily Mail

Tony Blair yesterday 公約するd to raise spending on 明言する／公表する schools to the same levels as those enjoyed by 私的な部門 pupils.

But the off-the-cuff かかわり合い - which would entail raising the ￡24billion 予算 by ￡17billion - could put him on a 衝突／不一致 course with Gordon Brown.

The 財務省速く moved to distance itself from his ambitious rhetoric, which （機の）カム during an unscripted question-and-answer 開会／開廷／会期 with teachers.

'My 目的（とする） and 客観的な is to get to a 状況／情勢 where we have a 明言する／公表する education system that is as good in its 施設s and 投資 as the 独立した・無所属部門,' he said.

He gave no timescale but the 誓約（する） - which would be the 同等（の） of 6p on 所得税 - 生き返らせるd memories of his 約束 last year that he would raise health spending to the European 普通の／平均（する）. On that occasion, the 財務省 downgraded the 誓約（する） to an 'aspiration.'

Last night, in a distinctly downbeat 返答, a 財務省広報担当者 said: 'It's long been our 目的（とする） to 増加する spending on education.'

Since 1997 spending on 明言する／公表する schools has risen by ￡540 per pupil to an 普通の／平均（する） of ￡3,690 this year.

普通の／平均（する）料金s at 独立した・無所属 day schools are ￡5,800-a-year, with many 非難する far more.

Mr Blair, who was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh, where 料金s for day pupils are ￡10,700-a-year, was at the 年次の会議／協議会 of the 協会 of Teachers and Lecturers in Torquay. He said that this year, for the first time, the 増加する in public spending on 明言する／公表する schools matched the rise in 私的な school 料金s.

Mr Blair went on: 'But if you look at 絶対の levels of 基金ing there is still a 抱擁する difference.

'If we want a first class education system we need to understand in this country that we have to 支払う／賃金 for it.

'The 選び出す／独身 most important thing we can do is recognise that a good education is not just socially and morally important, it's the 経済的な未来 of the country.'

But taxpayers would a gree to 供給する extra cash for schools only 'if the 投資 is 存在 matched with 改革（する）'.

Mr Blair's 発言する／表明する明確に trembled as he said: 'I was lucky, I got a first class education and I know I would never in a million years have been 総理大臣 or an MP or done anything particular in my life if I had not had that education.'

'But I also know there are millions of children and adults that have not been so lucky.'

影をつくる／尾行する（ドイツなどの）首相／（大学の）学長 Michael Portillo said: 'Tony Blair cannot resist the 誘惑 of 約束ing the earth. The 財務省 must be 関心d that the 治める／統治する-ment's spending path is unsustainable.'

A 広報担当者 for Education 長官 David Blunkett said Mr Blair was only '示すing that as we continue with real 条件 year-on-year spending 増加するs we would hope to 狭くする the gap with the 独立した・無所属部門'.

But ATL leader Peter Smith said the 総理大臣 had 'made a very public かかわり合い', 追加するing: 'If 労働 is re-elected then he is going to be held to that かかわり合い. It was a 勇敢な and ambitious thing to say.'