LABOUR admits it cannot promise to rescue Bradford’s crumbling schools – because any spare cash must help areas with classroom shortages instead.

However, the city is likely to benefit from the policy, after the council told Labour it was forecasting a shortfall of 937 primary places by 2018, without action.

The party released figures revealing more than 100,000 infants across England are being taught in “supersize” classes of more than 30 pupils, warning of a growing crisis.

And it pledged to wind up the “wasteful” ‘free schools’ programme, diverting the money to capping class sizes for five to seven-year-olds at 30 or under.

In an interview with the Telegraph & Argus, Tristram Hunt, Labour’s schools spokesman, said meeting so-called “basic need” would take priority over rebuilding crumbling schools.

As well as Bradford, London, many Home Counties, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield are highlighting huge shortages of primary places by 2018.

Under the Coalition, the cash Bradford receives to create more school places is due to be slashed by 92 per cent, from £9.6m in 2016/17 to little more than £700,000 in 2017/18.

Councillor Ralph Berry, the executive member for children’s services, described that decision as a “hammer blow”, at a time when pupil numbers are surging.

However, there was also anger when four secondary and four primary schools – one of which has pre-war buildings – all had applications for rebuilding cash rejected.

Two of the schools, Queensbury and Ilkley Grammar, suffered a double whammy, after earlier rebuilding schemes were axed when the Coalition came to power in 2010.

Asked about the fate of those schools – and many others awaiting rebuilding – Mr Hunt said: “It’s absolutely right that lots of schools are in a dire state and there are also schools that are full of asbestos.

“We accept there are areas where schools feel aggrieved that they missed out last time and they are saying, quite rightly, that it is beginning to affect learning.”

However, Mr Hunt said any further funding decisions must wait until he had “looked at the books in the department for education”.

He added: “The areas where there is growing need are where Labour will prioritise spending. In terms of existing school infrastructure, we can’t make any promises.”