Tory Education Secretary Michael Gove will come under fire today from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and community leaders in a growing rebellion against his free schools "fiasco."

Mr Clegg is to deliver his widely leaked attack on Mr Gove's unpopular and expensive initiative at Morpeth community school in east London.

The Lib Dem leader will argue that every child should be taught the national curriculum by a qualified teacher and receive a healthy meal.

Despite propping up the Tory-led government, he will say: "Parents don't want ideology to get in the way of their children's education.

"What they want, and expect, is that their children are taught by good teachers, get taught a core body of knowledge, and get a healthy meal every day."

Mr Clegg's criticism will be followed by a high-profile public meeting in Islington where Mr Gove is plotting an opportunistic land grab.

The Tory minister is set to exercise new laws allowing him to set aside a council-owned site, currently earmarked for social housing, for a privately-run, taxpayer-funded free school.

Ashmount Primary School's old buildings became vacant in January after the council paid for new purpose-built facilities for pupils.

Councillors had planned to recoup some of the £3 million cost by selling the plot for social housing - helping some of the 3,000 families living in overcrowded accommodation in the borough.

But Mr Gove has ordered that the delapitated facilities be handed to Whitehall Park Free School - despite there being no demand for more primary school places.

Labour Council Leader Richard Watts said: "It beggars belief that Michael Gove can find millions to invest in a school we don't need on a site we declared unfit for educational use."

And Ashmount school governor David Barry pointed out the school "did not leave this building on a whim."

He explained: "We left because it could not be made fit for purpose and to protect the future welfare of children in our care."

Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn, who has led the parliamentary campaign for more affordable rented homes, will chair a public meeting at Christ Church, Crouch End Hill, at 7pm tonight to oppose Mr Gove's plan.