Angry parents ambush Brown’s comeback
GORDON Brown’s attempt to launch a political fightback on education policy descended into chaos yesterday.
After a series of setbacks and leadership speculation over the last week, the Prime Minister had hoped to regain the initiative with a pledge to bring parent power to the classroom.
But his latest outing was dogged by yet more damaging blunders and botched photo opportunities, fuelling concern that he will soon be ousted from Number 10.
A high-profile visit to a secondary school was ambushed by protesting parents, one of whom leapt in front of the Prime Minister’s motorcade before being bundled away by police.
And Mr Brown was embarrassed by being photographed in front of Nazi swastikas in a class project display.
Downing Street aides were last night furious that another attempt to relaunch the embattled Premier had been wrecked.
Mr Brown’s speech to a meeting of school chiefs in south London was intended to reveal new proposals for reforming the public services.
He unveiled plans which would legally oblige local authorities to raise education standards if parents expressed “significant dissatisfaction”.
He said: “We will look at how local authorities can improve their knowledge of what parents want and how satisfied they are with their local schools.
“And where there is significant dissatisfaction with the pattern of secondary school provision, and where standards across an area are too low, then the local authority will be required to act.”
Mr Brown had hoped to highlight his plans when he went on to tour Prendergast Hilly Fields School in Lewisham. But protesting parents, angry about a move to merge a school with a neighbouring primary school, tried to halt the Premier’s car.
