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Public appointments - tory takeover?

(40 Posts)
JessM Sat 01-Feb-14 12:53:22

After last weeks' spat between the chief inspector and Gove, he, the minister, is failing to renew the appointment of the chair of OFSTED. There have been a lot of tory cronies appointed to public posts lately, some of them poorly qualified. The criteria are supposed to be that the person appointed is well qualified to hold the post. Makes you wonder what they would get up to if they had a majority government.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-25997102

gillybob Tue 04-Feb-14 22:44:33

P.S. Still stick by my original thoughts that it was a 3 year contact so she has nothing to complain about .

durhamjen Tue 04-Feb-14 22:48:03

Come on, Gillybob, you live in Hull. Anybody who isn't labour would not admit it to you, and would not stand for governor.

POGS Tue 04-Feb-14 22:54:36

durhamjen and Anniebach

Why would she be removed by the government?

Chairs of the Select Committees are elected by secret ballot aren't they?. If that is the case I am sure Labours Margaret Hodge is going to continue in her role.

gillybob Wed 05-Feb-14 08:33:09

Exactly when did I move to Hull Durhamjen? confused

gillybob Wed 05-Feb-14 08:37:25

....and besides, should a school be allowed to insist that that you must be a member of a particular political party (in this case the Labour Party) to be on the boards of governors?

JessM Wed 05-Feb-14 08:54:46

Polly Toynbee is keeping track. A growing list of female expertise being replaced

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/04/lisa-jardine-woman-tory-bonfire-quangos

Riverwalk Wed 05-Feb-14 09:26:36

Polly Toynbee's list reinforces my argument that all parties play this game .... most of the names are Labour supporters who took on their lucrative roles under the last government and now the tables are turned. Nothing new.

margaretm74 Wed 05-Feb-14 09:34:29

70% were Labour supporters during the Blair/Brown years so perhaps trying to redress the balance

Does anyone take Toynbee seriously?

POGS Wed 05-Feb-14 12:11:41

No.

papaoscar Wed 05-Feb-14 22:19:10

The problem, Hon. Members, is quite simple - the widespread use of patronage. Successive governments have enormously extended the number of organisations whose senior managements are appointed directly by politicians, often with little accountability. Jobs for the boys, and sometimes even the girls. The practice must stop, before the country collapses into an even deeper morass of political chicanery from all sides.

durhamjen Wed 05-Feb-14 23:36:30

Sorry, Gillybob, mixed you up with someone else. You live in the north east on the coast. Still Labour councils, unless you live in Northumberland with no overall control, but split between labour and libdems.
I'd be very surprised if a school could insist that governors are members of any party. If that is true, and you have proof, you should report it to the local government ombudsman, who is probably a male member of the tory party.

durhamjen Wed 05-Feb-14 23:39:29

I take Toynbee seriously now she's supporting Labour again. Didn't at the last election when she told everyone to vote Libdem. We are all allowed to make mistakes, particularly those who vote Tory. I am hopeful that they will not do it again next year, if they value the NHS at all.

gillybob Wed 05-Feb-14 23:53:12

No probs Durhamjen I though you must have ! Yes I do live on the North East coast (I am a Geordie). Our council is Labour, always was, always will be. As I have said many times before a monkey could stand in this town as long as it were a Labour monkey!

I have informally challenged the chair of governors at the school only to be told that it is not written policy as that would not be legal however the first thing they do is to check any potential governors name against the members register. I did speak to someone at the Town Hall about this who told me it was probably common practice but could never be proven in a "Labour stronghold town" .

gillybob Wed 05-Feb-14 23:53:49

Thought not though!