Getting a new school for Crouch End is a big issue in the area. The background – the TUC are closing their Crouch End site and it’s now due to become a local school instead.

Good news in the end – but at first the TUC were looking into selling off the site to developers instead. Now – at the time, I campaigned with my colleagues and residents to pressure them to look at the school option rather than just sell the site to the highest bidder. We also had numerous meetings with council staff to push this issue along from their end too.

I’ve pointed this out, and it seems to have got under Labour’s skin!

First I knew of this was when the press get in touch saying the TUC’s general secretary (Brendan Barber) is claiming I’d never lobbied him. That’s easy to put to rest – out from the files comes my letter to him and the reply back from the Assistant General Secretary.

Then the story changes. Now the press say the TUC are saying, yes I may have been in touch – but they’d already made up their mind by then to go for a school. So – out come the files again, and this time it’s the official email from the TUC at the time saying they hadn’t made up their minds which gets dusted off.

Bit careless of the TUC all this forgetting what they did and said at the time. I await the next claim from the TUC with interest!