It’s not my fault.
After three years, you’d think that the Mayor might start taking some responsibility for her actions, but listening to the last council meeting, perhaps not.
Even her most loyal supporters are getting a little fed up of the same speech, every month. “It's not my fault, it’s his!” It doesn’t really matter what the subject matter is, the speech is the same. “It’s not my fault, it’s his!”
By the same token, if three years after he left office, Wales is still responsible for the ills of Newham Council, ills which for some reason didn’t seem to be there when he was mayor. But perhaps if he is responsible for the bad, then maybe he is responsible for some of the good things that have happened.
Brampton Manor Academy, situated within the borough, has got more students into Oxford and Cambridge than most of the leading private schools combined. The sixth form was set up in 2012 and their students have now received 55 offers to Oxford and Cambridge; up from 51 last year. Slough Grammar otherwise known as Eton College received a paltry 48 offers and both have similar sized six forms.
Stormzy, the grime music star, who set up scholarships to Cambridge has now said he wants to send his children to Brampton Manor Academy. But as we have seen, the present mayor doesn’t much like academies and wants to get rid of them, so he’d better be quick.
On this website we applaud those pupils, teachers and parents who made this possible. We recognise that the life chances of hundreds of Newham children are being enhanced because of schools like Brampton.
Equally, we congratulate the achievement of the SEND teachers and children in the borough who recently received great accolades at an international conference for inclusion organised by the National Development Team. At the Inclusive Education Festival, Cleves, Monega and Tollgate Primary Schools gave a stunning presentation and were recognised as having the best international practice for inclusion. Well done to the Boleyn Trust.
The Mayor does not seem to be able to move beyond her own petty grievances to see the important work being done in the borough.
However, a mayor does deserve credit for the foresight and support given to these schools in the difficult early years. That mayor of course is the former incumbent.