MP’S NAME DROPPED FROM SCHOOL PLAQUE
ANDREW Griffiths’ name has been removed from a plaque at a Burton secondary school after pupils decided they did not want their school to be associated with the shamed MP.
The MP had opened a £1.5 million maths building at de Ferrers Academy in 2016. But the school council decided to ask for his name to be removed from a commemorative plaque after the revelations in the Sunday Mirror that he sent 2,000 text messages, some of a sexual nature, to two female constituents.
The de Ferrers Academy made the decision to remove the name after pupils on the school council approached head teacher Nick Holmes and he agreed.
Married Mr Griffiths resigned as Small Business Minister ahead of the national newspaper revelations in July, but said he wanted to continue as Burton’s MP. He apologised for his actions.
The MP had opened the Phil Baxter maths building. But this week his name on the metal plaque on the side of the building has been cut off the bottom.
The building at the school’s St Mary’s Drive campus is named after caretaker Phil Baxter, who worked at the school for 25 years. The plaque originally read: “The Phil Baxter Building, opened on
September 27, 2016 by Andrew Griffiths MP”, but now Mr Griffiths’ name has been removed.
One of those heavily involved in the campaign to have Mr Griffiths’ name removed from the plaque was head boy Lewis Anderson, 17. He said: “Several students came to me and mentioned about the plaque with Andrew Griffiths’ name on it.
“We had a school council meeting with representatives from every school year from Year 7 to 11. We had a brief discussion about the allegations against him and there was then a unanimous decision to have his name taken off the plaque that was up to commemorate a caretaker.
“I then went to the head teacher and asked if we would be able to do this and we organised it and now it has been done. I think the other pupils are happy about this and support this.”
Chief executive of the de Ferrers Trust, Ian McNeilly, said: “The pupils weren’t happy with the behaviour that he has admitted to. It’s not something they want the school to be associated with.
“Personally, I am very happy that our young people are being politically engaged and making these decisions.”
Andrew Griffiths has been contacted for a comment.