A leading Greater Manchester MP has called on Andy Burnham to shake-up bus passes for homeless children.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, Labour MP for Salford, says she hopes the mayor will 'introduce a free bus pass for children placed in temporary accommodation who now face a longer journey to school'.

Her call comes after experts said last week some of Greater Manchester's poorest children are missing out on school because their parents are placed in temporary accommodation miles from home – but still cannot get free travel to the classroom.

Council rules currently state youngsters can only get free transport if they move more than two miles from home and there is no 'suitable school' nearer.

That means homeless parents face a simple choice: Pay for buses they previously didn't need to, or move their children to a different school, if places are available.

"Families across Greater Manchester are being pushed into homelessness, often through no fault of their own, and placed in temporary accommodation far from their home borough," Ms Long-Bailey explained.

"This often leaves their child's school a paid bus ride away, an expense many families simply cannot afford during a time of immense upheaval."

"Under current law, free school travel from temporary accommodation is only offered if the child is placed more than two or three miles away from school (depending on age), and there's no closer alternative. 

"But in Greater Manchester, you're rarely more than a few miles from a school. So many families fall through the cracks.

"This is forcing parents to make impossible choices: pay for daily travel they can't afford, or uproot their child from school, friends, and support networks—often for just a few weeks or months—causing huge disruption to their education and wellbeing.

"These children need stability. They need access to their school, their teachers, their friends. A free bus pass is a small step that would make a big difference."

Previously a high-ranking member of the Labour shadow cabinet, Ms Long-Bailey is now a leading voice of the left of the party.

Previously, a spokesperson for the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: "Education is the foundation that sets our young people up to fulfil their potential, and it's vital that we support them in those critical years.

"We are doing a lot to make travel easier and more affordable for everyone in Greater Manchester, including children and young adults. That includes £1 single bus fares, free travel for 16-18-year-olds, an extension of free travel for care leavers and, from next month, half price bus travel for 18-21-year-olds.

"Transport for Greater Manchester is currently undertaking a broader review of concessions, considering all the requests for support that we get from a range of groups across the city-region, and the Mayor has asked them to ensure this is included."

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