Twelve years of Tory Britain. How much longer will it last?
I was fortunate. During my career, I taught in Liverpool and London during the Labour years of Tony Blair’s education, education, education.
Though I am no longer teaching, I am still involved. I’m a governor, and I do some tuition, a little consultation. I can only notice the appalling state of the government right now – and dread what the future may bring.
Look at any graph, the UK will be at the bottom of it. Then look at the procession of Tory prime ministers: Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss and Sunak. They don’t seem to care about the citizens. The last dozen years have given us poor health, education and housing – every possible distress. It seems that the Tories fill their pockets without a care while the vulnerable suffer.
Yet somehow, there are many who don’t see it – or perhaps, don’t believe it. They don’t grasp that the Tories have created the worst ever government. Growth is non-existent, public services stripped to the bare minimum. Almost six out of every ten of us will suffer pain and misery during the cost-of-living crisis.
Brexit caused damaging divisions in the nation. Even the ERG can’t give one single good reason for Brexit now. As for Levelling Up, that never happened. Just lies, lies, lies.
We desperately need a decent, honourable government with a leader, a solid team and supporters who behave seriously.
I still read the ASCL magazine for school and college leaders. Geoff Barton writes today about the essential role that headteachers play in engaging with the government and agencies.
He suggests that leaders “paint a picture of what education could look like, to offer up solutions to the power brokers […] You could liberate school leaders to make it better. We are the guardians of the nations children.”
Geoff is a Beatles fan, and an optimist. So I’ll finish with the words of Paul McCartney and try to find some optimism too: Tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun.
