THE Tory Parliamentary spokesman for Redditch, Karen Lumley, has called for MP Jacqui Smith to consider resigning after the schools minister's parliamentary private secretary (PPS) quit over new Government education proposals.

Martin Salter MP resigned over plans to reform the education service, recently announced by Education Secretary Ruth Kelly, which proposes to make England's state schools more independent, giving them more control over finances, staff and admissions or which pupils they take.

Mr Salter said he feared the proposals would lead to pupils from poorer areas being disadvantaged as popular schools expanded.

Mrs Lumley said: ''If her own PPS doesn't believe in what she's doing, why should we?

"We all want higher standards and better schools for all, no more than here in Worcestershire, where our children receive more than £800 less than children in Birmingham.

"Obviously Martin Salter has reservations about her ideas and has done the right thing to resign. Perhaps Ms Smith may see the error of her ways and do the same thing."

Ms Smith responded: "Redditch schools, children and parents deserve serious policy debate - not silly comments like this."