Letter: Labour's selective principles

From Ms Andrea Jones

Sir: In your leading article "Harman gets her priorities right", you imply that many Labour politicians will feel cheated that they sent their children to comprehensive schools now that Harriet Harman has chosen a grammar school. This implies that choosing a comprehensive school is second best.

In the borough of Trafford (where I live, and am a local Labour councillor and which has grammar schools), a number of Labour councillors have chosen to send their children to comprehensive schools in neighbouring authorities, irrespective of whether their children passed the 11-plus or not. In my own case, my son did pass the 11-plus. However, I believe that comprehensive schools are better. In sending him to a comprehensive school I was choosing the very best for him.

Yours sincerely,

Andrea Jones

Old Trafford, Manchester

22 January