SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies is one of a dozen Conservative MPs that have signed a campaign calling for schools to be reopened immediately.

Mr Davies and a handful of colleagues have backed the UsForThem campaign, which is calling for schools to be reopened to all children right away.

It comes following the Health Secretary Matt Hancock being unable to say over the weekend whether schools would reopen next month or before the Easter break.

An announcement from Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is expected this week to confirm schools will not reopen following the February half-term holiday.

The UsForThem campaign is calling on the Government to "reopen schools immediately, or at the very least to publish the work it has done to show that the schools shutdown is proportionate and takes account of the huge amount of harm we know we are causing to our children both today and in the future".

The group, which was founded in May 2020 following the first lockdown's school closures, said these closures are having a "devastating impact on our children".

Joining Mr Davies in supporting the campaign are his wife Esther McVey, 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady, and fellow outspoken backbench Tories Sir Robert Syms, Chris Green, Steve Brine, Ben Bradley, Andy Carter, Lee Anderson, Greg Smith and Karl McCartney.