The most interesting thing about the accidentally-revealed grammar schools briefing document is not so much that the government is planning to press ahead with the change to the schools system, but that it is considering passing a new law in order to do it. A brave move for a government with such a small majority. This means Justine Greening and her junior ministers in the Education dept are in for a rocky few months, something the memo itself acknowledged. It said:
‘I simply don’t know what the PM thinks of this, but it sounds reasonable to me, and I simply can’t see any way of persuading the Lords to vote for selection on any other basis.’
A chunk of Tory MPs are uncomfortable about the plans and will need much persuading too, though Theresa May does benefit from a general desire to give her as easy a time as possible, save for the rather grumpy Cameroons who are skulking on the backbenches.
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