Labour in Fix Storm + Hoon in cash-for access scandal

Hoon and De Piero

The row over who will represent Labour in Ashfield at the general Election continues to rumble on – with local members denying the shortlist has been fixed to ensure former GMTV presenter Gloria De Piero secures the position.

Ashfield party bosses have rejected reports at the weekend which suggested they believed ‘that Downing Street is “using every trick in the book” to force Ms de Piero into the commons’.

The claims centred on the changes made to the shortlist on Thursday to make it easier for Ms De Piero to become the party’s candidate.

But Ashfield Labour party vice-chairman, Edward Llewellyn-Jones, said:

 “Nobody in the party has come to me and said anything of the sort. We have no idea why the list was changed between Thursday and Friday other than what the party have said – that it was a clerical error”.

It had been reported that another candidate – Pam Tatlow, who is a chief executive of university think-tank Million+ - was on the list but then a revised version was issued with Joyce still on it instead.

The labour party denies claims that Mrs Tatlow had been replaced because ‘she looked like a serious contender’, while Mrs Still was an ‘unheard of health visitor’.

Yesterday Labour backed Mr Llewellyn-Jones claim that the mix-up was caused by a ‘clerical error’ – and say it was rectified as soon as possible.

On Friday, the shortlist of candidates – which includes Ms de Piero, Berkshire-based Mrs Still and party campaigner Faye Abbott – turned out for the hustings at Ashfield District Council’s Kirkby Offices.

They addressed party members, who will decide by postal ballot who they want to replace current Ashfield MP Geoff Hoon as their candidate, and the results are expected to be announced on Saturday.

None of the candidates were able to speak to the press at the hustings but Mr Llewellyn-Jones said that it had been a ‘very good meeting’, that all the candidates had their strong points and they answered their questions well.

The Chad ( You won't find this article online)

Meanwhile, Geoff Hoon is at the centre of a cash-for-access row after being secretly filmed offering help to a fake lobbying company in exchange for cash, set up by Channel 4.

Full story HERE

Teacher Charged With Attempted Murder

I wrote an article a few days ago about the youth of today and my experience of disruption, ignorance and vandalism at a local college. Only a few days later the news came of a teacher who battered one of his pupils so badly that he has been charged with attempted murder.

The attack which happened at All Saints' Roman Catholic School in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on Wednesday morning after a schoolgirl swore at him and tore up a textbook. In retaliation Mr. Harvey is alleged to have kicked her bag, telling her: 'If you damage school property, school will damage your property.' As she fled to reception, Mr. Harvey’s class is reported to have started singing 'I'm staring at the psycho in the mirror’; a take on Michael Jackson’s hit Man In The Mirror.

Mr. Harvey, an experienced teacher who recently returned to work following a stress related stroke, snapped after 14 year old Jack Waterhouse swore at him. He dragged the boy into a storeroom and hit him with a 2kg metal weight from a set of scales. Waterhouse is said to be in a serious condition at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham with head injuries.

According to many children at All Saints, past and present, Mr. Harvey was an outstanding teacher.

A current pupil said 'Mr. Harvey was an amazing guy and an outstanding form tutor.'

Former pupil Tom Blythe, 19, said Mr. Harvey's bald head and beer belly - accompanied sometimes by a beard or 'wacky' moustache - made him look like 'a kind of Nutty Professor'. But he added: 'I never saw him lose his rag. He'd shout at you but never got physical.'





We all expect our children to be safe at school and never expect a thing like this to happen but there are a few points to consider.

Firstly, was Mr. Harvey fit to go back to work? Is there a procedure in place to make sure someone is fit to return, especially if someone suffers from stress? Mr. Harvey was allegedly seen talking to himself in the school corridors and shaking in lessons.

Secondly, we all know there is no respect for teachers these days. It is impossible to chastise pupils without the fear of losing your job, being taken to court, or both. Some children use this to their advantage and terrorise teachers because they know they will get away with it. Will those in power now put measures in place to teach children the valuable lesson of respecting others, especially their elders? Will those in power help us to teach children that the teacher is the one on charge and not the children?

I doubt it very much. I hate to say it, but under present legislation this type of incident is likely to become more frequent.

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