Labour's policies have failed to raise education standards at all levels over the past 10 years, according to a flurry of new independent reports.

Durham University found no improvement at all in educational performance from children sent to pre-school nurseries under Gordon Brown's flagship Sure Start programme.

Sure Start is aimed at deprived children. But they actually do worse under it than similar youngsters not on the scheme, according to Birkbeck College.

But this year alone £2 billion of taxpayer