Cllr McEwan: Conflict of Interest?

5.13.59pm GMT Fri 10th Nov 2006

Cllr Chris McEwan, the Darlington Borough Council Cabinet Member for Children's Services and therefore the senior education spokesman for the Labour Group, has been approved as a Governor of Eastbourne School.

We would argue that the LEA and Labour Group are separate organisations which would not necessarily have the same view on all issues. Should Cllr McEwan therefore also be a school governor - especially at Eastbourne, with its proposed major upheavals to come as it changes to an Academy?

If the Governors of Eastbourne School, charged as they are with defending the best interests of the school and its pupils, were unhappy with something the LEA was proposing for the school, surely there would be a conflict of interest between Cllr McEwan's role as a Governor and his role as the responsible Cabinet member. Or don't the Labour Party trust the Eastbourne Governors unless there's one of their own top men on the Board?

And why does Branksome School suddenly need four new (extra) Labour nominated Governors? Why does the Labour Cabinet need to ensure a controlling interest in the Branksome Board of Governors?