Writings

The Tories use the ‘c-word’

Read Melissa Benn’s latest posting on Guardian Comment is Free on the way Tory education spokesman Michael Gove bandies about the word comprehensive whenever he can, despite the content of opposition education policies.

3 Responses to The Tories use the ‘c-word’

  1. I enjoyed the Guardian article Melissa but some of the online comments to it are a little (lot) cruel and are more indicative of Murdoch readers having a pry and responding with their Tory dogma.

    For what it’s worth to the readers who don’t know the geography of West London, the catchment area of Holland Park School includes some of Shepherds Bush as it was from there that my wife Sian. the daughter of one of the Bush’s eccentric bag ladies attended. I know of a couple of friends whose children attend now. Mum drives a bus and dad drives a fire engine! Bloody toffs!

    It’s fair comment that Holland Park Comprehensive School’s catchment area does indeed include some salubrious housing, but I actually thought that was one of the reasons why it was such a high profile comprehensive school because people who lived nearby would have normally been of sufficient means to go via the private route.

    The four Benn children were hardly an average representative of the community at large (if there ever is such a thing) but their parents did something that is largely absent from modern day politics – they led by example. If I can find a politician of any political colour who does that in my constituency I’ll vote for her/him.

    • Thanks Tim. I didn’t read all the comments on the post because, without exception, whenever I write anything on CIF there is a mini torrent of highly personal , inaccurate and sexist abuse, along the lines that you describe. So I just don’t bother! But thanks for defending me…much appreciated.

  2. What I would have difficulty in defending is the typeface used in your blog. There must be many people with poor visual acuity who just wouldn’t come to this site because every second post has a dark silvery grey font on a black background. Never mind dyslexia friendly – that’s a set up that would stump even John Prescott (“what bits are there for crayoning in?”) please sort that as it’s very hard to read and highly inaccessible. If QPCS sent out communications like this – I’d be on their case.

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Melissa Benn