Keeping the Faith

Corine came up with the idea.

As Secretary she regularly fields telephone calls from Hattie – Harriett Harman. Well it’s not exactly HH, but it is her people. And they connect (I think that’s the word) and they profess to be totally focussed on what the Sutton Coldfield CLP think about things.

Corine is not normally stuck for a comment or two but you have to have some sympathy for the difficulties of responding on the hoof to apparatchik charged with mining the soul of the SCCLP.

There had been a couple of such calls and we got organised. Henceforth we, or Corine would be ready. There would henceforth be a crib. When the call came, when HH next dialled up, Corine would casually reach for the text and would appraise the listener on what we think and where our sympathies lie.

How to prepare?

This is the good bit. We would actually debate issues of interest to us. This is new – feelings would be expressed, arguments would be assembled, we would have reactions and a reply. This is how the Greeks did it.

And first debate took place this week. First item on the Agenda. And it lasted 55 mintes. And everybody got stuck in. We had opinions right round the table all the way from Jockey Road to Mere Green.

The consensus was that Faith Schools were a fairly awful idea which was sucking the state into all sorts of inappropriate relationships - the very young were being manipulated, a couple of cynical pressure groups with friends in high places and bishops in the high house are conspiring to maintain their iron grip upon the resources of the state which they direct towards the believers.

The worst bit is putting together an exit strategy. Like it or not (the CLP didn’t) there are an uncomfortable number of complacent middle class parents who see faith schools as their passport to their piece of the pie. And given that the churches do own the buildings, there would be little chance of civilised debate bringing about a sensible conclusion. Make no mistake, they would fight. We would need every ounce of our conviction to prevail.

So Hattie would be told.

Corrine was given no instruction on whether she should mention the Oratory; this was not intended to be an exercise in embarrassing the Minister. Were the cap to fit……..

Nightwatchman