Sunday, October 14, 2007

The anti-Tory attack that went badly wrong ... and why the governor will get away with it

When David Cameron used the example of a student too hungover to attend his exams on time in his conference speech, it was obvious that Labour would head straight out to find the boy, the school and to dig any dirt they could.

Sure enough, within a few days one of the school govenors had a splash in the Mail saying that Cameron must have been making it up because she, as a governow, would have known about a pupil who had trashed a classroom and attacked a teacher. Cameron, she claimed, lied.

This leads me to conclude one of two things.

Either she fundamentally misunderstands the role of the governor within schools. The school governors at my school understand the strategic direction and high level management but don't get bogged down in day-to-day life and behavioural disputes, short of those which come to govenors review committee. Why would she know about this incident just because she's a governor? There is, however, a more likely explanation.

The govenor was just anti-Tory and was out for a hit on Cameron. Maybe put up by Labour, maybe not. But she certainly enjoyed her moment of attack even including a photo in the article. This was no behind the scenes briefing, it was a full frontal assult on the character of the Tory leader desperately hoping to knock him off course.

Now the Sunday Mail has CCTV evidence - including sound - that the conversation did take place and even includes quotes from the lad himself.

Will this governor aplogise? Don't hold your breath - a political attack required the standard political response (running away and hiding).

Will this governor be sanctioned by her governing body? Of course not, but then as the Sunday Mail saw fit not to humiliate this political pundit gone wrong, why should the school she claims to serve?

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