CONSERVATIVE leader David Cameron proved a hit with staff and children when he visited a school in Newton Abbot on Friday.
Mr Cameron went to Decoy Community Primary School as part of his tour backing candidates in the local elections.
He seemed relaxed chatting to the children. Reading aloud to Year 2s, he showed himself as much at home with the latest children's books as more august matters of state.
After a short conversation about meerkats with a Year 3 art class, the Conservative leader allowed himself to be interviewed by Year 5 pupils preparing the next edition of the weekly Decoy Times.
A question about what he would do if he was prime minister proved too good an opportunity to miss in getting over a few election messages. Mr Cameron stressed the need to reduce the country's debt and for us all to live within our means.
On education, he said he would tear up paperwork bedevilling schools to allow teachers to get on with the job.
Shown a mock-up of the next edition's headline 'VIP visits school', Mr Cameron quipped: 'As long as you don't put Decoy Dave comes to town... although I'm not sure I'm a VIP really.'
One child asked where he went to school. On seeing the blank look on the child's face, he patiently spelled out E-t-o-n.
Mr Cameron made one convert when he signed a pupil's plastercast.
Charlie Bartlett, ten, had the cast put on two days earlier after breaking a bone in his foot.
Charlie said: 'He asked how did you fall over, how long have you had it on and what is the next step. He shook my hand. He's a very good man, definitely worth being a future PM.'
Then it was the turn of the waiting press pack. The first question, of course, was about MPs expenses. Mr Cameron's visit took place before the latest revelations in the Daily Telegraph.
He said he completely understood public anger and that he had been saying for months that the system needed to be changed.
'We need to reduce radically the range of things MPs can claim for: barbecues, patio heaters – it has to change.
'Every MP has to explain why they have claimed what they have claimed. That is what my MPs will do when these next details are released. Then we need to build a system in which the public trusts.'
The issue at the top of the agenda for south west schools is the funding gap between what schoolchildren in Devon get from government compared with those in other parts of the country.
Devon is nearly bottom in the schools spending league table, 140th out of 148 authorities, with on average £410 less per child being spent on Devon schoolchildren.
Mr Cameron agreed the figures were stark.
'I can't make promises. We have no magic wand and can't say we will instantly make this right. We would certainly look at how this needs to be decided and see what we can do.'
Headteacher Len Peach said he was delighted with the visit.
'I am really proud of my children today who asked some lovely questions and spoke up well.
'I asked about the level of finance we receive which is well below the national average and that will always bring challenges. We talked briefly about paperwork and the need to give professionals trust.'