Heavy defeat for Lib Dem leadership on free schools

Lib Dems just heavily defeated the leadership and called on members on the ground to do everything they can to frustrate the coalition policy of “free schools” and to dilute the latest push for more Academy schools.

The party backed what its own Education minister Sarah Teather called a “boycott” of free schools. Nick Clegg decided this wasn’t a “go to the stake” issue and didn’t attend the debate or the vote. He was very nearby though, as I watched him pop out from behind a curtain and come into the hall the very moment the debate was over.

This isn’t critical for coalition relations and as Lib Dems have already helped to get the Academies Bill (which helps to pave the way for free schools) through parliament it doesn’t mandate MPs to vote against a coalition measure. But it could have implications for the Tories’ dream of a free school in every neighbourhood.

Tories wanted to rush through schools reforms as soon as they came to office because they were all too aware that much of their time in office would be spent cutting down trees – this, for them, was proof they’d be planting some too.

David Cameron’s team have talked about free schools being the footprint they wanted to leave in the sand. If Lib Dems, resourceful and determined activists and councillors some of them, decide they want to throw every spanner they can at the free schools movement they could be useful allies for the teacher unions and others already engaged in that campaign.