At last, Education Secretary Estelle Morris has finally responded to calls from the disappointed and disgruntled parents and teachers of Swindon and has promised the Evening Advertiser an interview.

She took her time, of course, but better late than never, and now finally, we can push home our message to her.

That message, put quite simply, will be that Swindon's schools have been badly let down by the Labour Government.

After all the promises, schools in this town remain massively underfunded.

The town currently receives about £6.5 million a year less for education than the national average for unitary authorities, making it the worst funded in the country.

And with the Government due to announce the financial settlement for councils today, it looks like Swindon will again be left out in the cold.

Subsequently, the people of Swindon will be left with higher council tax bills to meet demands from headteachers for more money.

Whether or not the Education Secretary will respond to Swindon's plight is another thing.

But one thing is for sure, the children of this town deserve and expect action.