In praise of Michael Gove
He’s wrong on free schools but right to ban BNP teachers.
By Mehdi Hasan Published 02 November 2010 12:29
I'll try not to make these "In praise of . . ." blog posts too common, but some Conservatives do deserve plaudits from the left – yesterday, Peter Oborne of the Telegraph, and today, Michael Gove, the Education Secretary.
He might be wrong and misguided on free schools and academies but Gove is absolutely right to give head teachers the power to dismiss teachers who are members of the BNP. (Remember: police and prison officers are already banned from joining the far-right party.)
The Labour government failed to take action against BNP teachers in our schools and, in my view, Gove's predecessor Ed Balls was wrong to endorse the verdict of an official review, chaired by the former chief inspector of schools, Maurice Smith, which concluded back in March that a ban on BNP teachers would not be "necessary" and would instead be "taking a very large sledgehammer to crack a minuscule nut".
Gove, on the other hand, takes a harder line, and points to the risk posed to innocent "young minds" from fascists and extremists in positions of authority. From today's Guardian:
The pledge by the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, follows the case of a BNP activist who used a school laptop to post comments describing some immigrants as "filth". Gove said he would allow school heads and governing bodies to sack teachers for membership of the far-right party. Members of the BNP are barred from working as police or prison officers.
The minister told the Guardian: "I don't believe that membership of the BNP is compatible with being a teacher. One of the things I plan to do is to allow headteachers and governing bodies the powers and confidence to be able to dismiss teachers engaging in extremist activity.
"I would extend that to membership of other groups which have an extremist tenor. I cannot see how membership of the British National party can coexist with shaping young minds."
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55 comments
UAF Violence
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/8488720.Protester_sentenced_for_attack/
Now post one recent BNP violent act.
@Gaz,
Your link is related to an EDL march not a BNP one. There are several recent examples of EDL violence which I won't link because you won't be interested anyway in anything that contradicts your point....whatever that point may be.
You wanted a post on a recent BNP violent act? How about June 2010
http://liveraf.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/peter-tierney-guilty-of-actual-b...
I wouldn't give Gove credit for anything; it's a matter of commonsense. The teaching of BNP beliefs has no place in our schools and therefore any teacher who is seen to be promoting any of the appalling BNP values should be dismissed for misconduct.
Teachers have a right to their own beliefs but they should never influence those they teach. Gove is just trying to side with a populist view because come election time, this lot are going to need all the votes they can get. He would be better concentrating his efforts on ways of funding decent school buildings.
Welcome back Nick, you've been conspicuous by your absence
Thanks Lou! Been away and then absolutely up to my eyes in it with our new contract starting soon, plus writing endless appeal submissions! This coalition certainly keeps me busy!
one swallow doesn't make a summer
the fact he's education secretary is still a bummer
Thinkov, very witty but many a true word said.
Nick, sorry to say this but things can only get worse with this lot and you're sadly going to get a lot busier.
David,(14.25)Gove did not say just the BNP, he said he would extend it to all groups that had an extremist tenor. And it's not about banning anyone, it's about being able to dismiss people - extremists of all colours - whose personal beliefs lead to unprofessional conduct in their work place or environment.
Yes the more the state try to ban us the more people that will come to swell our ranks,so come on bring it on.
Just to re-mind you all,we still have scores of Police officers,Prison officers,fire service personnel,and service people in the party.YES WE ARE EVERYWHERE.
From france I invite you to defend your freedom of speech. When you loose it , it is too late to complain.
BNP program is right or not doesn't matter. ( it is a legal party after all).
Unlikely I know but I wish the press would start to describe UAF, SWP etc. organisations for what they really stand for instead of calling them anti-fascists.
"Far left extremist thugs" who have their own political agenda would be best suited. A bit of research on some of these so called anti- fascists would quickly reveal the type of unsavoury characters we are dealing with. Compared to BNP members these are in a vile group all of their own.
From a french man who loves G-B :
Yes you can , keep on like that in England ,
ban all opposition to "multi-culturalism" ...
Mohamed is the most given name for baby boy in G-B
in 2009 , that's a god start !!!
a good start ... a good path to the catastrophy .
and for Islamists teachers, what are you doing?
@Joesph Walsh do not split hairs. I am talking about all EXTREMISTS not just religious extremeists but all extremists and I see the BNP as an extremist political party, extremists come from every walk of life religious or not. On an application form you are sometimes asked about political or religious affiliations and I was saying sometimes it's easier to root out one extremist but not another. Geddit?
Yes, credit where it's due, and entirely the correct logic from Gove. However, does this extend to school governors who are BNP members? If not, it should.
Much as it pains me, credit to Mr Gove is due. I would like to know if this same right will extend to EDL members too who are equally as pernicious as the BNP.
It's odd how I can see and agree with the reasoning behind all of these moves to stop the BNP, yet I'm also clearly aware of the strange logic that surrounds them.
It says that the values of the BNP are incompatible with public service. That their members, if given positions of power, would restrict those services from ethnic minorities, muslims, gays and lesbians (i agree).
Yet we will still allow them to run for every level of elected public office, on the grounds that banning a political party makes us a bit queasy.
We effectively say to BNP supporters: "You may not be a bobby on the beat, but you may be an elected police commissioner".
And I don't see that as being a standard that can last.
since 2008 when their membership list was uploaded for a reason this racist klan have imploded and shown how divisive they are.it is immoral to allow bigots to be in places of influence.we can never eradicate racists but we must try,otherwise our nation will always have INSTITIONLIZED RACISM flourishing without been checked.it also sends a message to many like myself that we ethnics are been fully listened to.finally this will start the process of a more equal society.i praise ALL politicians who speak out against racism,it's time ALL political parties seriously realise it's time to ban or make it illegal to have race as a voting weapon,immigration must be debated but ethnics like myself born n breed here will then believe we are fully excepted for what we are HUMAN BEINGS.i may clash with mr gove on many issues politically but on this subject i agree wholeheartly with him.too many politicians are fearful in standing up and stating bnp are racist because they fear a backlash when it comes to elections.WE MUST REUNITE OR CONTINUE DOWN A PATH OF RACE RIOTS.cohesion is required to make our nation great again.UNITED KINGDOM WE STAND,LEAD BY EXAMPLE FOR OTHER NATIONS TO FOLLOW OUR LOGICAL STANCE.PEACE N UNITY LEADS TO HARMONY FOR ALL WORLDWIDE
Can't stand the BNP- but I don't think people should be fired because of their views. If those views impact their work, then fire them for that, but we shouldn't presume guilt.
BNP members aren't evil, they're just people. It's not like they've no hope and should be ostracized from society- that's only going to push them further away from sense.
When I see Nick Griffin I don't see an evil bloke, just an unhappy ignorant man. Not a monster.
Free speech must be universal. To prevent someone from entering a profession because of what they think is thoughtcrime, pure and simple. It is wrong and we should be ashamed of Michael Gove's authoritarian stance.
The big mystery is why the BNP is still a legal political party. If they're so bad that membership is incompatible with service as a police or prison officer, or now a teacher, how can they be legal?
On the flip side, if they are deemed to be a legal political entity, however repellent, I am uneasy about banning membership.
If using a school laptop to post comments describing some immigrants as "filth" is undesirable, then will the NS crack down on similar comments from the racist/anti-Muslim trolls who regularly post on this site?
As a frenchman, i believe that it is no business of School Principal to ban any competent teacher who are belonging to an extremist ideology. It is at home that young children and teenagers are learning basic moral code from their parent, family and religious/political friends. At school, you are learning facts and how analyzing them!
Gaz,
Your link is related to an EDL march not a BNP one. There are several recent examples of EDL violence which I won't link because you won't be interested anyway in anything that contradicts your point....whatever that point may be.
You wanted a post on a recent BNP violent act? How about June 2010
http://liveraf.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/peter-tierney-guilty
I thought Pete Tierny was the guy who was attacked and his only actions were in defending himself. Whatever,but there have been examples of first strike violence on BNP members unreported by the MSM, improperly investigated by the Police, and - even where a strong case has been made- sabotaged by the corrupt CPS and its deliberately losing or holding back crucial evidence until timeout.In any case it remains to be seen whether these witchhunts will actually work in ridding schools of racism. Surely the old saying 'keep your enemies close' made a lot more sense than this vindictive piece of crap.
'The Lives Of Others'.
COMING TO A TOWN NEAR YOU.
The banning of organisations and the sacking people because you disagree with their views is fraught with problems and issues. As stated above, we cannot and must not institutionalise 'thought crimes' and action should only be taken if laws are broken. As an example, all religions are to some greater or lesser extent discriminatory - does anyone seriously propose banning any of them?
Lou: would say a man using a school computer to post vitriolic comments about immigrants being savage animals is a breach of contract,
Must have been a Micky Mouse comic you were reading that day. Aint nothing like what I read.
Lou: if he wants to write that crap,then he should use his own computer and not compromise one belonging to the school.
If it had been an Islamic extremist, rather than a white racist or a BNP memberthe case would not even have reached court in the first place. And you know it - as does Medhi Hussain. Because the same teacher who walked in on Mr Walkers computer would have just walked away if it had been an Islamic nutter. Time and time again we have seen these double standards in favour of Muslims and to the detriment of
Whites/Christian and English. Sorry if it all sounds kind of like another 'They're all out to get me cos I'm white' rants. But we have seen it too many times now for it to be easily dismissed as such.
It happens alright.
Judge them by their works... what has the BNP actually done... has it invaded foreign countries and murdered millions,has it sold the ordinary working people down the river to the ruling elite and foreign powers ?...as most know the list is endless,so the BNP are judged by the damned on what they might do,meanwhile them that actually do us all an immense amount of harm like Mehdi Hasan get highly paid with money to deceive us... !
Sure they are a scruffy load of bas*ards but they are angels compared to what we have got.
I don't think this is about banning BNP members from being teachers, it's about the ability to dismiss them should they abuse their position as the example in the article mentions.
I agree they have a right to their own opinion and as such cannot be excluded from certain jobs but they can't abuse their position by promoting their own beliefs and therfore it is right that they can be dismissed for crossing that line.
Mel Davis 09:12. "do not split hairs".
I am not splitting hairs, merely stating fact. You are all too willing to believe that anyone who puts YES to being in the BNP, knowing the vehemence against them, would really do so, as with any other group!
Get real Mel, as you, or I would do, self preservation would tell you "no, i don't think i will, that may be detrimental to my chances".
You single out a party for politically motivated attacks you get a back lash. And Gove@s action is nothing more than political, as his boss Mr Cameron is key signatory for the UAF. Geddit
An Empire Loyalist taught one of our children at primary school. This was in the seventies - pre-Thatcher. He was also something of a cold war warrior. His pupils seemed to be aware of his political views. They were also wary of getting on the wrong side of him. In his book, the Soviet Union was the bete-noir. In a general science lesson this teacher asked the question -"What form of life could survive in a radio-active world?" Our daughter, under prompting. responded - "The Russians!" The answer he expected was - 'a snail'. The politics must have seeped through the lesson material but had unintended consequences Owing to this teacher's hortatory delivery other teachers could not avoid overhearing this interactive session between teacher and pupil. In any event, look at the Soviet Union, the Tea Baggers etc. Wait, forgot about the Bankers - everyone's a free-loader! Propaganda does work - sometimes. Provided the voters are dumb enough!
Jesuit
Mel Davis:"How are schools to know if someone is a Muslim extremist? If asked for their religious faith on an application form they will just put Muslim; not Muslim extremist! If someone says on their application that they are a member of the BNP then it is surely easier to root them out".
If that paragraph does not sound like a witch hunt i don't what does! Is that not what happened in Germany, "they were rooted out", in Rwanda, Myanmar (former Burma)etc. When does it stop at politics? We see it now, when politics spills over to violence, that violence is seen as the norm, and inevitably, the violent offenders see it as a right to stifle free political choice.
These events really worry me.
Since reading this i have researched the violent actions of the BNP, and i could only find actions of defence against anti fascist thugs, but the system has cited the BNP member. By comparison, a search for UAF violent actions brings up numerous arrests ranging from carrying bottles of bleach to attack counter protestors through to claw hammer attacks. I have contacted Mr Cameron questioning his support for the UAF and asking why my funds, and public funds should be used to fund them.
I have served throughout the world and have seen despots at work, yet here in this country Labour, and now the co-alition, allow radicals to run riot, the UAF, EDL, SWP, MDC, MAC, Hope Not Hate, Searchlight (All UAF affiliated, yet i have never seen or read of the BNP marching in the last decade.
Mel, if you honestly believe restricting personal beliefs which are not passed onto others deserve being ostricised, you do not believe in freedom.
Blimey, I never thought I'd see the day when I would concur with Gove, but yes, credit where credit is due.
Will this extend to the Socialist, Marxist Communists that are teaching and shaping childrens minds?
Amendment to 21:26 post.
UAF, Hope Not Hate, Searchlight, SWP are all affiliated and linked somehow to the same people. Msrs Smith and Mr Bennett, all cited by the Police, and named with these groups. Sorry for any confusion.
The vital question asked of Gove's 'troika' policy on education was 'whereis the money coming from?' The university graduates, stoopid! I understand 'troika' means three abreast. Gove's idea is a lead horse followed by all-so-rans. Grammar first, poor person's grammar second, and third, comprehensively beaten, institutional dump..
More to the point, German Nazi and Imperial Japanese teachers, not to mention their numerous supporters, sent their graduates to annihilation or abject defeat.
Gotterdammerung
Gloating tosser. Before the third world colonisation this was a democratic country with no history of banning political parties. Not even Oswald Mosley was banned outright. So now you're satisfied, what next? How about we ban all extremists including those who follow certain extremsit aspects of the Islamic faith. Hey, what about the King Fahid school in Acton -where was your article on the findings there? You know, where they found the the text books stating Jews were little more than pigs. I also dont see gangs of 'BNP kids' with screensavers on thier phones glorifying violence - knowotimean - hypocrite?
And that happens now is you will not know who to suspect and who not to because the 'racists' will just carry on but underground while the BNP will gain even more suppport.
Dave (of the free UK) Smith
Lou 23:14 "Peter Tierney has been found guilty of “attacking” a Communist Party front organisation member by a Liverpool Court despite clear CCTV footage showing the leftist thug starting the physical confrontation".
I see from your link that you show the Liverpool Antifascist paper as evidence. After a few seconds web searching i found the real truth.
Mr Tierney was confronted by members of the Communist Party, who captured on CCTV, instigated the physical confrontation, and Tierney in turn lashed out in self defence with a camera tri-pod.
This is not Stalinist Russia or Fascist Germany yet, and i do not intend to let it get that way without a battle.
Gloating tosser. Before the third world colonisation this was a democratic country with no history of banning political parties. Not even Oswald Mosley was banned outright. So now you're satisfied, what next? How about we ban all extremists including those who follow certain aspects of the Islamic faith. Hey, what about the King Fahid school in Acton -where was your article on the findings there? You know, where they found text books stating Jews were little more than pigs. I also dont see gangs of 'BNP kids' with screensavers on their phones glorifying violence - knowotimean - hypocrite?
All that happens now is you will not know who to suspect and who not to because the 'racists' will just carry on but underground while the BNP will gain even more suppport.
Dave (of the free UK) Smith
Corrected - 'I think'.
@JosephWalsh
The same report was in the Liverpool Echo and at least one of the national dailies. He got found guilty of assault for attacking an anti fascist member of Merseyside's Coalition against Racism not the Communist Party as you suggest.
Funny that the jurors after repeatedly viewing the cctv that you mention still found him guilty - or are you going to tell me they were all Commie Fascist liars as well?
i think mr gove should also include these vile far left lecturers and teachers who have been praising the violence at these student demos in his list of extremists who should be banned from teaching,this far left marxist and communist agenda must not be taught in the classrooms
Mel: 02 November 2010 at 11:46
Much as it pains me,
I bet it pains you.
credit to Mr Gove is due. I would like to know if this same right will extend to EDL members too who are equally as pernicious as the BNP.
Do your worries and concerns stretch to the young 'equally pernicious' Muslim chavs of Luton or Harrow as well; some of whom are members of the UAF (what a misnomer if there ever was one) who often wait to engage the EDL with baseball bats, clawhammers and knives -even though they are often found outnumbering them at five to one.
@David, I agree with you! I am glad Gove has introduced this policy but the policy itself should not be discrimatory. If membership of the BNP is banned then the extremist Muslim views should be banned too, all extremist views should be banned, but therin lies the problem. How are schools to know if someone is a Muslim extremist? If asked for their religious faith on an application form they will just put Muslim; not Muslim extremist! If someone says on their application that they are a member of the BNP then it is surely easier to root them out. Look, my view is that there should be no religious faith schools because they could harbour extremists of any faith. Keep religion at home and in church, synagogues, and mosques and keep the state secular. :-)
@David,
The comment you highlight is by Lou not Mel.
And yes in answer to your question, if they abuse a position and allow their personal views to cross the line into their professional position.
p.s. For the record and stated earlier, I don't agree with banning anyone but I do agree with the right to dismiss someone for unprofessional conduct which is what this article relates to.
I cited the BNP case because a commenter asked for an example.
No! I dislike the BNP as much as you do, but I fear that banning one political belief today may lead to banning another tomorrow, and then another, until only those of no political or religious allegiance are allowed within a mile of children.
No faith schools, no political schools. But political or religious teachers, sure.
I dislike the BNP but i don't think they should be banned from teaching. Let's face it Labour were sounding BNP to me at the last election by saying British jobs for British people.
Hitler was able to shape German youth but the majority didn't quite believe him. The young are impressionable but the likes of the BNP and the Nazis are going to be members of that party whether they are introduced them to when young or old.
It is not about banning them from teaching, it's about authorisation to dismiss someone who's personal opinions cross over into their professional responsibilities.
A teacher using a school laptop to post offensive comments is unprofessional conduct.
Under law, a teacher could not just be dismissed on the spot for a single offence, there are procedures that have to be followed.
We should apply perspective and not be so selective; afterall, If a child protection social worker used a social services computer to post comments on a forum about savage children being animals and they should all be locked up, or a teacher used a school computer to say the same - we'd all be on our high horses and calling for theat social worker or teacher's dismissal.
no hypocrisy, and will muslim teachers who belong to hate filled racist organistions who preach hatred and racism against non muslims be included in this banned list,i would not want my children to be taught by any of these islamo fascist race haters and gove better sort out his list quick and include all extremists whether white or brown in his banned from teaching list,as for gove if anybody looked like a commie, boy he sure does fit the frame.
It's a fascist move by Mr Gove, what does he define as "extreme"? maybe someone who doesn't agree with his party's political views?