Tony Blair accused the Conservatives yesterday of having a "divisive and unfair" education policy.

The prime minister claimed the Tories want to restore the assisted places scheme - a bursary to help less well-off students go to private schools - which Labour has phased out.

Interviewed in today's FT, shadow education secretary Tim Collins said a Tory government would oversee a "radical deregulation and marketisation" of schools.

Collins said allowing parents to spend the money the state provided to pay for a child's education in any school would give parents greater choice.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that a Labour candidate has undermined the party's stance on equal opportunity in education by choosing a selective school for her child.

The decision by Emily Thornberry, a barrister who is the party's candidate in Islington South and Finsbury, was praised by the former chief inspector of schools, Chris Woodhead. "I celebrate her good sense as a parent and deplore her hypocrisy as a politician," he said.