"Flags for Schools is a failure" admits Conservative Councillor.

5.05.00pm GMT Thu 22nd Mar 2007

Leading Conservative County Councillor Andre Gonzalez De Savage was forced to admit that the only school taking up the council's offer of a flag pole and a Union flag was the one that he had personally sponsored.

This confession was forced out due to a question asked by Richard Church, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the Northamptonshire County Council at a meeting of the Council.

Councillor Richard Church says: "Great play was made in the Conservative Manifesto of the scheme to offer schools the opportunity to have a flagpole and fly the Union flag. We said at the time that this was an irrelevance and that it would be difficult to find sponsors and implement the scheme. The Cabinet Member was very reluctant to answer the question directly, and I can understand why."