My Moment of the Week

Thrilled as I am to hear that Diane Abbott is standing for Labour party leader, not having witnessed the announcement first-hand as of yet, I am unable to deem it as my moment of the week. But it sounds truly inspirational. I am both proud and happy that someone has stood up to what she sees as a bad thing, and dived in to make a difference.
But my personal political moment of the week has to be the response that Andrew Neil gave to Michael Portillo on This Week when discussing Diane's shock leadership bid - his own moment of the week (and yes, that's where I stole the idea from). Michael Portillo said 'we both went to the modest schools of Harrow School for Boys and Harrow School for Girls'. It was at this point that Andrew Neil pointed out, "I'm sorry, but these are not modest schools, they are elite, highly selective grammar schools" which left Michael a bit stuck for things to say. I could have applauded him for making this point, for it is what I want to say to every person I meet who went to a plush, competitive grammar school and talks about it like it's the 'norm.' Even these days, when we have seen a huge rise in children attending private schools (probably due to the dissolution of the grammar school system, in all fairness), it annoys me to hear grammar school kids talking about their 'modest' schooling. But for Portillo, a product of the 11+ system of the '50s, to sit there and say it, I feel is ludicrous. The grammar schools were for the creme de la creme of the population; only a small minority actually got into them - in a sense you could even analogise them to how it is with grammar/ comprehensives v. public/ private schools now. So for him to make this statement I feel was not really saying much, especially considering the fact that the two Milibands went to a substandard comprehensive (albeit in the post-grammar school era).
It was a point well made by Andrew Neil, and for that, I highly commend him. I believe the dissolution of the grammar school system was a good thing and caused and still CAUSES a rift between people and exacerbates social divisions on the grounds of perceived 'intelligence.' You only had to watch this week's 'This Week' to see that the rift is still strong between that generation, with the remark of 'Well, I don't know that technical phrase Diane, but then I didn't go to a grammar school' by one of the guests. A wounded response, maybe, but a fair and valid point all the same: these highly elite, selective schools divided society. I am eva thankful to the Labour government that we no longer have the compulsory 11+ exam which pretty much decided for you your station in life, as well as how much self-esteem you'd have to gear you through it.
And I am thankful to Andrew Neil for highlighting the inaccuracy of Michael Portillo's point, on a purely factual basis. It was something that was screaming to be said, and I am glad that for once, somebody involved heard its call.