Friday, June 01, 2007

Tory press agrees Cameron is in total disarray over Grammar Wars...

This morning's papers give Cameron his hottest roasting since he became Tory Leader over his dramatic cave-in on Grammar School policy.

Under the headline Tories in 'U-turn' over grammar schools Daily Telegraph Chief Political Correspondent Toby Helm writes:

David Cameron's education policy is in disarray as his party backtracked on firm recent commitments not to build any more grammar schools.
The Daily Mail's also talk of Cameron's disarray, proclaiming Cameron stages great grammar school U-turn.

While the Daily Express says senior Tory Graham Brady - who lost his job in the chaos - has accused Cameron of being blinded by ideology.

The Independent also talks of dissarray and says David Cameron will give his backing to the creation of new grammar schools in areas that already have selection at 11 years old, after a revolt by senior Tory MPs worsened yesterday.

The Guardian says Tory education policy is mired in confusion after Cameron reassured rebels that some new grammar schools could be built after all.

The Times wins the Fair Deal prize for best headline with this painful-sounding offering: Cameron faces U-turn taunts after another MP mangles his grammar.

Times Political Editor Philip Webster writes:
The Conservative Party’s stance on grammar schools was mired in fresh confusion last night when some of its leading politicians admitted that more might be built.

After two weeks of insisting that the party was not interested in building more grammars, and would not promote them, the Conservative high command accepted that more might be allowed...
One of the leading Tory blog sites is also appalled by Cameron's mishandling of Grammar Wars - which has of course been totally self-inflicted:

Conservative Home, said to be 'unofficial home of Tory grassroots' yesterday said it was officially burying Grammar Wars - which is what Cameron had hoped for.

But then he made his astonishing u-turn, so Conservative Home quickly unburied the subject to complain of Tory retreat and shambles.

However, Tory blogging guru Iain Dale's latest word on the affair is from Wednesday's rather irritating (for Tory bloggers who hoped that Cameron had shut down the debate) revelation that George Osborne would prevent any new Grammar Schools from opening.

That of course was Wednesday's Tory policy. 24 hours later, Cameron caved in and a new policy was announced. Today's official Tory policy is that they would build new Grammar Schools ...but only a few more.

Do keep up Iain...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

10 now. Phil is even staying up in the middle of the night to write this piffle.

Seriously I am worried. Has the lose of his councillor seat(and expense account) affected his mental state?

Get a new hobby Phil. Gardening, painting, handgliding, deep sea diving. But Forfoxsake get real some tome soon.

fairdealphil said...

michael:

thanks for your concern.

keep counting (11 comes next) and i'll be able can cancel subscription to my blog counter, which has registered steep increase in hits since i've been posting on Tory Grammar Wars...

following your rather pedantic and pathetic grammar lesson on my wrong use of 'they're' in a post earlier in the week, you write:

'the lose of his councillor seat...'

what on earth did they teach you in public school, young Oakeshott?

Anonymous said...

Superb. Of course Labour are rarely to be trusted with numbers, but in the unlikely event you are telling the truth, there is an explanation. I always stop to look at a car as well.

Looking forward to number 11. Each post is a tribute to your stupidity. And who says politics has gone negative(?).