Page 1, 12th July 1996

12th July 1996

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Page 1, 12th July 1996 — Oratory school adds to Blair's blushes
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Oratory school adds to Blair's blushes

LABOUR THIS WEEK dismissed as "mischief" the suggestion by London Oratory headmaster John McIntosh that his grant-maintained school might become independent if a Labour Government is elected.
Mr McIntosh, headmaster at the west London school attended by Mr Blair's eldest son, is believed to have discussed the possibility with school governors.
"Rather than see the school go the wall, we would consider that option," he told the Sunday Telegraph.
McIntosh has already caused problems for the Labour leader, criticising education policy he claims would undermine the rights of Church schools which have opted out. The Oratory School in London is at the centre of the second scandal to afflict the elec
total promise of Labour leader Tony Blair in the space of a week.
Last weekHigh Anglican Mr Blair admitted to receiving Holy Communion in his Catholic wife's church in • Highbury, north London, and his office apologised for any offence caused to Catholics.
The response from Mr Blair's Government-in-waiting was furious. Shadow education spokesman David Blunkett said this week that Labour had "no intention" of challenging the position of the school and that Mr Blair's 12-year-old son, Euan, would remain a pupil.
"These proposals are extremely unhelpful in finding a successful and co-operative approach for the future. In the circumstances, where schools are queuing up to return to the state system, it is highly unlikely that a school taking pupils from the variety of social backgrounds present at the London Oratory would choose to take the exact opposite direction.
"We feel, therefore, there has been a little bit of political mischief which has nothing to do with lifting standards or educational policy and everything to do with party politics."
Mr Blunkett went further. He suggested that Mr McIntosh had undermined the Catholic values of his school by agreeing to opt out of the state system.
Mr Blunkett said "John McIntosh is a maverick within the grantmaintained sector. What he says should be taken with a pinch of salt.
"He opted out in the first place to reduce the influence of the Catholic Church on his school and to preserve the ethos and culture of the school."




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