LAST week, I predicted Peter Luff would be unhappy with the contents of his latest letter from Mike Foster on the thorny issue of school funding.

I was right - he had already written to a small group of parents, governors, teachers and councillors expressing his dismay.

The most controversial paragraph in Mike's letter dealt with the issue of public v private schools.

It read: "One comparison that could be made, although I haven't as yet done it myself, is to compare say all funding per pupil with that paid for a child entering a private school in the County, say the Royal Grammar."

In his letter to school campaigners - with which he included Mike's letter - Peter did not attempt to hide his obvious displeasure.

He said: "I have reached the very sad conclusion that Mike Foster is not properly on board with our campaign, since my honest attempts to discuss with him what sources of funding need to be identified to enable proper comparisons to be made, have been met with increasingly hostile and partisan comments.

"I enclose, for your information, our most recent exchange. This comes after similar exchanges in the past, where he has sought to divert the argument away from Worcestershire's share of funding to total national funding issues.

"I entirely accept that there are legitimate party political discussions to be had over the level of education funding in total.

"What I cannot accept is that there should be any party politics whatsoever in the attempt to secure, for Worcestershire, a fair share of that national total.

"I have sought to engage Mike Foster in the process of identifying all these sources of funding, so that he and I can stand shoulder to shoulder in the campaign to secure a fair share for Worcestershire's schools.

"I am afraid my approaches are being rebuffed as he seeks to secure party political points both in public and in private."

Peter assures me he has already received replies from campaigners equally unhappy with Mike's remarks and that a letter or two is likely to be sent to the Evening News in protest.

Watch this space.