Schools union rewrites rules on impartiality

MILItant leaders of the national Education Union make it clear they will stop at nothing to prevent English schools opening on June 1, using often spurious claims about ‘elf ’n’ safety’ and filing a list of 169 demands to be met before they will consider a return.

this is despite widespread fears of the long-term damage to children who have missed out on months of lessons already.

now, the nEU is mobilising councils across England to back their stance via a ‘cross-party’ letter to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson signed by 1,173 councillors.

the union insists it’s not affiliated with any political party, so an analysis of the signatories makes for interesting reading. Of the 1,173 councillors, 967 are Labour and just six are tory (the rest are Lib dems, Greens and

Independents). Intriguingly, 134 are from areas represented by Shadow Cabinet members.

there are 23 from Salford, shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey’s constituency and the woman who was Jeremy Corbyn’s choice to succeed him as Labour leader.

there are 13 from Haringey, the first council to be taken over by the Corbynite hard-Left Momentum and whose local MP is david Lammy, shadow justice secretary. there are also 13 from Islington, the backyard of Corbyn and Emily thornberry, the shadow secretary for international trade.

another eight hail from Camden, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s constituency. He has been criticised for ‘fence sitting’ on the school opening row. (His children have not missed classes because his wife, Victoria, is a key worker, an nHS occupational therapist.)

I can also reveal nEU president amanda Martin is on the shortlist to be the next general secretary of the Labour Party. taken together, that’s an interesting definition of political impartiality.