As the campaign for the GLA has now started there is an interesting news from the Croydon Advertiser.

According to the local paper Labour’s London Assembly candidate for Croydon and Sutton has been disqualified as a primary school governor. Louisa Woodley, who is also a councillor for Thornton Heath, had been a local authority appointed governor at Ryelands Primary, in South Norwood.

But the election hopeful, who used to be Labour’s spokeswoman for children, young people and learners, has been disqualified for failing to attend meetings of the school’s governing body. Cllr Woodley, who will run against Tory incumbent Steve O’Connell in May’s London Assembly elections, missed several meetings over a six month period.

Schedule six, paragraph five of the School Governance (Constitution) Regulations 2007 states that a governor can be disqualified if he or she, without the consent of the governing body, fails to attend meetings on a continuous period of six months. Cllr Woodley will not be able to stand for re-election as a governor for at least twelve months.

The required qualities of a local authority governor, as detailed on Croydon Council’s website, include an interest in education, a willingness to serve the local community and “the ability to arrange commitments to fit in with membership of a governing body”.

A council spokesman added: “Local authority school governors take on responsibility for setting targets, managing budgets and balancing the school curriculum. “Governors therefore have to ensure they can manage their time to fit in with the diary of the governing body.”
Cllr Woodley gave up her position on Labour’s shadow cabinet to concentrate on fighting the Croydon and Sutton seat.
In her campaign literature she has said that representing Croydon and Sutton on the Assembly would be her only job if elected, hinting that she will stand down as a Thornton Heath councillor.

Neither Norman Gooding, chair of governors at Ryelands Primary School, in Albert Road, or Cllr Woodley, have responded to requests for a comment. Will this story convince people to stay away from Labour in the forthcoming GLA elections? Probably not, after all too many people still keep voting Labour, mainly ethnic minorities and well-off public sector workers, even when Labour is destroying this country.

No wonder the country is in a mess.

GIUSEPPE DE SANTIS

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