I READ the double page spread devoted to Liberal Democrat policy on education in your edition of March 15 and the thoughts on these topics of our local Lib Dem parliamentary candidate and our local Conservative MP.

I am glad to see that thee Lib Dems would scrap Ofsted, SATs, school league tables and bring in free school meals for all primary school children.

These are the policies I supported when I stood as the Green Party parliamentary candidate in Taunton Deane in 2015 and 2017. As they say, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.

Had you asked me to comment I would have pointed out that there is a structural issue here that also needs to be addressed. Most schools are no longer overseen by local councils.

Instead, they are “academies” run by faith groups, private businesses, etc. They only report direct to Whitehall.

This process was started under New Labour, accelerated under the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government, and continues under the Conservatives today.

READ MORE: POLL: Should Ofsted and school league tables be scrapped?

The Green Party calls for primary and secondary school academies to be brought back under some form of local democratic control.

It’s a pity that the Liberal Democrats did not do more to achieve these better education policies when they were in government for five years between 2010 and 2015. 

It’s a little depressing but they may well be right in assuming that voters have short memories.

CLIVE MARTIN
Green Party prospective parliamentary candidate Taunton Deane