It seems Labour in Middlesbrough is not learning from their mistakes. Go back to 1988 when it was a toss-up whether Macmillan College was built here or in Stockton and Labour screamed – no thanks.
The pros and cons were published in the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette for weeks if not months and one particular comment from a former Headteacher was: “we need it like we need a hole in the head”.
Look how wrong he was! We were told clever children from schools would be “creamed off” to the detriment of other senior schools – it never happened. Indeed Macmillan employed at least two excellent teachers solely for the children who needed help in order to start secondary education!
Over the years, their excellent results have ensured this town did not sink even lower in the exam league tables and I know for a fact the children of some Labour councillors were educated there!
Labour councillors Clinche and Phillipa Storey both spoke out recently against the new Eton sixth form college ( free!) proposed for our children, making the exact same comment as Labour MP Andy McDonald: “it will damage other sixth form colleges in the area.”
I’m confident that history will once again prove them all wrong. What’s good enough for the children of Labour councillors and MPs is good enough for ours here in Middlesbrough – bring it on!!
Joan Mctigue
Ward Councillor
