MP GORDON Prentice has told the Prime Minister that it looks as though people willing to sponsor the government's flagship city academies were effectively buying honours.

He challenged Mr Blair about the new business-sponsored schools at Question Time in the Commons yesterday.

The Pendle Labour MP asked Mr Blair: "Why is it that so many influential people outside think that knighthoods and peerages can be bought by sponsoring city academies?

"Is it because six sponsors have been honoured so far?

"And what about independent trust schools that are seeking partners in the private sector?

"What is in it for Tesco, B &Q, Burger King and Virgin Mobile?"

Mr Blair replied: "If you were to go to the city academies and see for yourself these schools which used to be under-subscribed and are now over-subscribed, you would see children getting a first-class education."

Mr Blair added that if he did visit the schools and saw what was being done: "I hope perhaps you will take a different view of city academies and their sponsors."

Mr Prentice said after the exchange: "I think there is an issue here, an issue that needs to be confronted, that people effectively are buying their way into the House of Commons.

"It seems suspiciously like the open sale of honours today.

"Businessmen sponsor a city academy and they are doing it because they think they are going to get gongs' at the end of it."