City academy guru is axed from top job

Sir Cyril Taylor, who has had unrivalled access to Downing Street and education ministers since the Thatcher era, has been replaced as chairman of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

The SSAT insisted the change was part of a "corporate governance review" - but it will be seen as a move to clip the wings of the man who did more than almost anyone to make academies a government policy.

Sir Cyril, who has never shied from making controversial recommendations in public, was in the top five of the Evening Standard's Influentials, the list of London's most important people. He earned the honour for his "massive influence on education policy under Thatcher, Major, Blair and now Brown".

He will remain on the SSAT board. He said: "The trust has played a crucial and important role over the past 20 years in helping to raise standards in English secondary schools. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to contribute."

The new chairman is Bradford businessman Sir James Hill, who made his money in textiles and is chairman of governors of Dixons City Academy in Bradford. The change follows the SSAT's decision to slim down its presiding board from a council of 40 to 12 directors.

Sir James was elected to be the new board's chairman and an SSAT spokesman refused to say if Sir Cyril had unsuccessfully stood against him.

The former toothpaste salesman is credited with persuading Margaret Thatcher to import the American idea of city technology colleges where statefunded schools were endowed and governed by rich businessmen in urban areas of chronic educational under-achievement.

Only a handful were ever built but they became among the most successful non-fee paying schools in Britain.

CTCs were the precursors to city academies, a programme begun in the last days of the Major government that was then adopted and expanded under Tony Blair.