Cameron stages the great grammar school U-turn

David Cameron's education policy was in disarray after he was accused of making a "humiliating U-turn" on grammar schools.

Over the last two weeks the Tory leader has enraged many MPs and activists by arguing that grammar schools do not work.

He has also described the idea of creating more as "delusional".

But in an extraordinary shift, Mr Cameron last night admitted that a Conservative government would consider building more grammars if an area's booming population meant they were needed.

The move - which follows weeks of hard rhetoric from the Tory leadership - stunned Tory MPs and political observers.

It came only hours after shadow cabinet member Dominic Grieve called for his local education authority to be allowed to set up new grammar schools.

Former Tory Europe spokesman Graham Brady resigned from his frontbench job this week after receiving a severe reprimand from the Tory whips for speaking out in favour of grammars.

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But rather than reading Mr Grieve the riot act, the party issued a statement insisting that his comments were "entirely consistent" with Mr Cameron's.

A spokesman went on to declare that new grammars could be built on a "case-by-case basis" if they would "maintain the status quo".

The policy shift is particularly embarrassing for Mr Cameron as he has faced down his critics in the bitter grammar row by arguing: "I don't follow my party, I lead them."

He has declared that any pledge to build more grammar schools would be an "electoral albatross".

He has also referred to supporters of grammar schools as "inverse class warriors".

The party claimed both Mr Cameron and education spokesman David Willetts have made clear new grammars would be considered in areas where selective education already exists.

However, it failed to produce any public comments made by either men backing that claim. Meanwhile, shadow attorney-general Mr Grieve is the most senior member of Mr Cameron's team to appear to question the leadership.

He told a local newspaper he wanted his local area in Buckinghamshire to be allowed to build new grammars if they were needed.

A Conservative spokesman later said: "Where there is a particular demographic change, as in Buckinghamshire, then to maintain the status quo we would look at allowing more grammars to be built.

"This would all be done on a caseby- case basis so we can't rule it out. Where there is a big population expansion in an area, we would try to maintain the proportion of pupils going to grammar schools."

There are ten wholly selective education authorities in the country, but the spokesman insisted that only "one or two" - such as Buckinghamshire and Kent - were likely to put forward a reasonable case for a new grammar.

However, Mr Brady - who quit his shadow ministerial post this week - said: "This is the first I have heard of this."

He added: "To say we will have no more grammar schools and then to announce that in areas with selective systems we may have to allow some to be built is a very odd policy position."

Labour seized on the policy shift and accused Mr Cameron of "abject surrender".

Education Secretary Alan Johnson said: "After attempting to exert his authority over his party last week, he has now humiliatingly given in to them.

"This is a test of leadership that David Cameron set himself and that he has failed."