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Brown ambushed by angry parents in school protest
Tim Ross and Joe Murphy5 May 2009
Gordon Brown's political fightback descended into chaos today as angry parents ambushed his policy relaunch.
The Prime Minister was visiting a Lewisham school to announce plans to give parents more power over their children's education after a weekend of speculation over his leadership.
But the secondary school in question is embroiled in a battle with parents who are furious at being “ignored” over plans to merge it with a nearby primary.
One protester leapt in front of the Prime Minister's motorcade and had to be bundled out of the way by police as Mr Brown's car sped past.
A group of about 15 parents brandishing placards and shouting gathered outside Prendergast School in Lewisham to greet the Prime Minister.
They are unhappy at plans for a merger with Lewisham Bridge Primary School to create a new institution for 835 children aged from three to 16.
Lewisham council says the scheme will provide urgently needed secondary school places but parents fear that toddlers will be intimidated by teenagers having lessons on the same site.
Meanwhile, young Blairites staged a show of solidarity with Hazel Blears today after she got into hot water for criticising the Prime Minister.
The Communities Secretary was escorted into the weekly Cabinet meeting at No 10 by arch-moderniser James Purnell and walked out by Culture Secretary Andy Burnham, another minister who rose under Mr Blair.
The Evening Standard learned that Ms Blears went into a private meeting with Mr Brown as her colleagues gathered outside, where she apologised for appearing to lambast his performance.
Her career was said to have been on a knife-edge over an article in which she attacked the Government's “lamentable failures” in getting its message across and seemed to single out Mr Brown's performance in a YouTube video by saying: “YouTube if you want to. But it's no substitute for knocking on doors.”
She was said to have been given a “hairdrier” by the Prime Minister on the phone at the weekend — Cabinet slang for a lengthy dressing down.
Insiders said their private discussion today was friendly and that Ms Blears apologised to him for the YouTube remark, saying she had not realised how it would be interpreted.
“The issue was settled between them at their meeting where they talked it through,” said a source. “It was a foolish mistake by her to use that phrase because it became loaded with a meaning she did not intend. She has now put it down to experience and resolved to carry on campaigning.”
In Lewisham, Mr Brown was due to promise parents more powers to demand new schools — or mergers between failing schools and the most successful. But Eleanor Davies, a 40-year-old mother of a child at Lewisham Bridge, said the governing body of the new school would only contain two parent governors, as the Leathersellers' Federation, which is backing the merger, takes control. Campaigners have been protesting on the roof of the primary school for the past two weeks.
Reader views (21)
Mickeinlondon - first of all get a job - you are becoming a bore. Secondly learn how to spell eg: its Brutus.
- Jigjig, London, 06/05/2009 06:39
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Blears is barking mad.
- Albert Hall, hove england, 05/05/2009 21:29
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Cabinet members having to be escorted around by their allies in case they get roughed up by the heavy mob. Real old labour.
- Peter Haldane, London, 05/05/2009 17:24
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Nu-Labour are not a Tory government. They get the idea, but can't actually carry it out competently. They never think past the initial cash grab from privatisations. The railways are a perfect example.
- Mark, London, 05/05/2009 16:30
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First of all who is Blears to have a go at indisputably gruesome Brown? She's gruesome herself. She reminds me of a little woman who used to be on TV dressed up as a cheeky chappy schoolboy with a cap on her/his head and that appalling motor-mouth regional shrill accent.Ughh!! And as for Brown even thinking for a nano-second that he or any of his ghastly crew have anything whatsoever to offer in the way of policy in any area at all, least of all education....words almost fail me. He's living on another planet. One full of Balls.
- Judith C, London, England, 05/05/2009 16:22
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Another spineless creep, who realised, after she opened her brain dead mouth, that she might have her nose removed from trhe tough even more quickly than the rest of this bunch of useless oinkers.
- Lezli Taubler, London / UK, 05/05/2009 16:01
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From every photo of Hazel BLEARS in the press I assume that she is insane.
- P Doff, paris france, 05/05/2009 15:31
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Never mind the management structure, improve the bloody content of the lessons. They're RUBBISH!!!!
- Sue Rochester, London, 05/05/2009 15:30
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Jilted John - here's just a few for you from the top of my head - British Petroleum, British Airways, British Steel and Rolls Royce Aero Engines. All world class companies (don't like BA myself but hey) and all thriving as privatised companies. The way this government are running the country I wish we could privatise government too.....today's politicians (from all parties) are ill-equipped to run a local credit union never mind run the country
- Dc, London, 05/05/2009 15:21
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This is laughable, Labour are doomed & doing their best to mess the economy up more that it is already so that the Conservatives are handed a poisoned chalice when they get in. Anyone who thinks this government is worth their vote over the shambles of the last 12 years must be blinkered.
- Tara, Hitchin Herts, 05/05/2009 15:17
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Micky - Julius Caesar was the most powerful man in the world, a charismatic speaker and a brilliant soldier. He was murdered because those around him were frightened of his power. Brown is a lame duck with withering power. He is gathering enemies due to his weakness and incompetence.
- Alex C, London, 05/05/2009 15:09
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Mr Brown, you are the ultimate enemy of this country. You have already sold the British people short(without the promised EU Referendum)to your European buddies. Now, most of our utilities and banks and among other things are foreign owned. In short, you just want to sell, sell, sell and breakup the country. Hopefully, your sell-off of the Royal Mail will see the Mutiny of your Cronies.
- K Lee, Cheshunt, UK, 05/05/2009 14:09
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I think Mr Browns P45 is in the post for definite now.
- Mr S.Port, London, 05/05/2009 13:48
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For privatization read higher costs, we were told energy would be cheaper under the private co's, not the case, transport by train is ridiculous, BT? where do I start, it still has a monopoly on installing phone lines now at £125 a pop. The water companies? another waste of space, show me a single privatization that has actually saved us, the customer money? The post office is a service, it should be treated like a service not a money making enterprise pursuing big profits. People want to post their letters and send their parcels at the PO not be bombarded with TV, Phone, Insurance and dozens more services that the PO is now flogging. Get back to doing the job and leave the selling to others!
- Ed, Hants, 05/05/2009 13:17
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Privatise Royal Mail, yet some still call this mob a Socialist Government,roll on the General Election,when we can rid ourselves of this Tory Government,and elect another Tory Goverment,in fact why bother to vote?
- Richard, Streatham, 05/05/2009 13:07
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Lady Meddlesum wants to PRIVATISE the Royal Mail and NATIONALISE the DEBT.
UK Politics stinks.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK, 05/05/2009 12:33
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name one instance where privatisation improved the public service!
this proves that nu-labour are conservatives with a different hat on.
privatise the profits and nationalise the losses.
we are a nation of gullibe mugs!
- Jilted John, braintree, uk, 05/05/2009 12:22
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When the going gets tough the rats, frightened for their jobs, bring out the knives. Mr Brown, in many ways a traditional Labour man is now surrounded by friends who are not supporting him in an hour of need and maybe giving him some duff gen also. I think a very bloody reshuffle would sort out most of Mr Brown's problems and re-assert his authority over 'friends'. The question is not 'if' but 'when'. Let's see if we get a reshuffle, before or after the forthcomong elections.
- John, Malvern, UK, 05/05/2009 12:21
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With all the challenges facing the Labour Party and the Labour government, why has Gordon Brown allowed this bitterly divisive issue to get to the House of Commons?
His political judgement is so flawed that another debacle similar to the 42 days detention issue is inevitable. Whatever the outcome, the Labour Party is already in disarray as the Chief Whip allows dissenters a free hand and the authority of the Prime Minister is further reduced.
- Manny Goldstein, London, UK, 05/05/2009 12:10
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Gordon Brown is much like Julius Caesar was in distant history; surrounded by senators, who were lead by the likes of Marcus Brutus, whom he thought were friends etc.
On my friends; why do you murder me?
That was one line of a poem I wrote years ago; but it is as true today; as it was in 44 BC.
All that remains to be seen is; who is the new Brutas?
- Mickyinlondon, london, 05/05/2009 11:16
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This is just another example showing that Brown is no longer in control of his party. Mandleson is the one pulling Brown`s strings. First we had Mandleson and the car scrappage scheme, which he got his way on despite the Chancellor wanting nothing to do with it. Now, Mandleson wants to steam roller through the privatisation of Royal Mail which surely risks putting Brown on track for a vote of a parliamentary, "no confidence." The only way Brown is going to get his way on this issue is with the support of the conservatives who could abstain at the 11th hour leaving Brown high and dry. Brown`s decision making process is seriously flawed nowadays which to me shows that the stress of the job is to much for him to handle. Time he took stock and asked himself if he can carry on.
- B Gare, Norfok Gorleston, 05/05/2009 10:59
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