Shadow minister quits as Tories' poll ratings are hit by schools row
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
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David Cameron was faced with a damaging party split last night as a frontbench Conservative MP resigned after being disciplined for defending 11-plus selection.
Other senior Tory MPs rallied behind Graham Brady after he quit as Europe spokesman, in a direct challenge to Mr Cameron's authority over the Conservative policy on grammar schools.
His protest resignation came as a poll for The Independent showed that the row over grammar schools has made the Tories look more divided and their lead over Labour has been reduced from nine to four points.
The poll puts Labour on 31 per cent, up by four points from 27 last month, and the Conservatives down one point to 35 per cent.
Asked which leader would be able to keep his party united, 40 per cent said Mr Brown and only 37 per cent said Mr Cameron. A similar poll a month ago showed that 64 per cent thought Labour were divided, compared with only 36 per cent who thought the Tories were disunited.
Mr Brady, the MP for Altrincham and Sale West in the Greater Manchester area, sent a defiant letter to Mr Cameron, standing by his support for grammar schools and accusing the Shadow Education Secretary David Willetts of undermining grammar schools in his constituency.
"Faced with a choice between a front bench position that I have loved and doing what I believe to be right for my constituents and the hundreds of thousands of families who are ill-served by state education in this country, there is in conscience only one decision open to me," he said.
Allies of Mr Brady said he resigned before being sacked for issuing data showing that areas with grammar schools and selective education performed better than those which are dominated by comprehensive schools. "I support him wholeheartedly," said another former shadow minister. "I am losing key members of my constituency over Cameron's leadership and the sooner he realises it, the better."
Much of the venom is being directed at Mr Willetts for a speech saying that grammar schools inhibited social mobility but Mr Cameron is being damaged by the splits in his party.
Former Tory leader Michael Howard is reported to have been furious at the attack on grammar schools. But he was persuaded against making a public outburst. There was a row at a meeting of the 1922 Committee two weeks ago but, until yesterday, it looked as though Mr Cameron was keeping a lid on the issue. He regards it as an important marker to show that the Tory Party has modernised, but Conservative MPs were lining up behind Mr Brady including Nigel Evans, MP for Ribble Valley, and Nadine Dorries, the Tory MP for Mid-Bedfordshire,on her blog. Mr Evans said: "Graham would not have been doing his job if he had not stepped in and defended the grammar schools."
The poll shows that Mr Cameron's hopes of gaining a commanding lead over Labour before Tony Blair hands over to Mr Brown have been dented by the dispute. The "Brown bounce" has also raised questions about the leadership of Sir Menzies Campbell with the Liberal Democrats down three points to 19.
But the personal rating of the two main leaders will come as the most worrying blow for Mr Cameron. Asked who would make the best Prime Minister, 40 per cent said Mr Brown and 32 per cent said Mr Cameron.
