The government is set to pave the way for a new generation of grammar schools with a £320m boost to its free school programme.

The Chancellor is set to announce the news in tomorrow’s budget, saying that the ban on new selective schools will end and new ones will be permitted as free schools.

The decision will be welcomed by Kent Conservative MPs, but has already been denounced by the Labour party.

It is also likely to get a cool response from the headteachers of many of the county’s non-selective schools.

More than 30 signed an open letter to Theresa May in December urging her to abandon the policy of allowing more selection, expressing “deeply held, vehement opposition” to the idea.

But Charlie Elphicke, the Dover and Deal MP, said: “This is fantastic news for schools in Kent and for those who have aspirations for their children to get a grammar school place.”

He said new grammars need not adversely impact on the viability of non-selective schools.

“What we want is more choice and diversity close to where people live.”

The MP said that many parents in Deal wanted to see some kind of grammar provision in the town.

Chancellor Philip Hammond will say that he wants new grammars to do more to attract poorer brighter pupils by offering free transport to those who live two to 15 miles away from their nearest selective school.

Labour education spokesman Angela Rayner tweeted: “Sending children 15 miles to new grammars, the prime minister is ducking the challenge to make schools nearer home better. It's a diversion.”

The Prime Minister has made the creation of new grammars a key commitment and has already earmarked a £200m fund for existing grammars to expand.

One Kent secondary school has said it is considering converting to a grammar. Meopham School in Gravesend consulted parents last year and said it is keeping open the option.

"A grammar school system is educationally outdated, socially divisive and morally dubious.

"For every new grammar school created there will be three secondary moderns.

"It is patent nonsense to suggest that the country will create a good school for every child by restoring a model of educational apartheid in which the minority of schools will take the majority of the academically able and, on present accountability measures, be deemed to succeed whilst the majority of schools will be denied them and be destined to fail."

County council leader Cllr Paul Carter said he wants to expand grammar schools but “proportionately” compared to the number of non-selective institutions.

He said: It would help us enormously if East Sussex or the outer London boroughs that border Kent also had free selective schools because they nick an enormous amount of our places in Kent.

“We are pretty unique in Kent in having grammar schools available to all young people that pass the 11-plus.

“As the school population grows significantly we have to expand our schools.

“We will expand our grammar schools proportionately to expanding our high schools and wide-ability schools.”

His comments come after the Prime Minister announced the Budget tomorrow will include £320 million for 140 new free schools, which will include the creation of a new generation of grammars.

It is understood 30 will open by 2020 and 110 in the next parliament.

Last year 14,300 children took the 11-plus in Kent hoping for a place at one of nearly 40 grammar schools in the county.

The number who passed the test rose by 278 to 6,537 in 2016 but of these only 4,369 are from Kent compared with 2,145 outside the county.

However, there were only 4,959 places available.