Twigg is, in theory, the Labour Party education spokesman. I say in theory because he's a bit of a rara avis, and as far as anyone can see hasn't come up with a policy, policy direction or even a statement of intent so far. When he does say something it seems to be aimed at the Mailite audience full-square.

His latest wheeze - and I kid you not - is that in order to overcome the damage done to PE and fitness work in schools by Gove, Cameron and Johnson, state schools should - wait for it - have access to the far better facilities at private schools.

This is actually an old Andrew Adonis™ idea. In about 2005 he pushed an plan where struggling state schools would be partnered by successful public schools. It had the half-life of an ice-cream in a bonfire. And that was when he was giving the public schools money - which they promptly trousered and then dropped out. It was crap (and plain wrong) then, and it is now. If we have a state school system (and I'm pretty certain that we don't at the moment) it should be properly and imaginatively funded, not piggy-backed onto privilege.

I know it's wrong to pillory someone because of their looks, but Jeebus, our education bloke is no more impressive-looking than theirs, is he?


WYSIWYG?

He's also doing some "we wasted money on buildings" bollocks. It feeds right into the "a good teacher could work in a cowshed" Gove thing.

Gove's rather fond of Mossbourne if he thinks buildings don't matter.

I'm amazed he hasn't been reshuffled out of the way already. I know Lisa Nandy's relatively inexperienced, but she's been far more impressive than Twigg.

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True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.

Nailed...

I didn't see it but then again you didn't gobsmack me with that news. The man's a liability.

Sorry, I appear to have got mixed up - it was Stephen Timms. Can't say I'm particularly enamoured with either.

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True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring.

Slightly more time for Timms, except for his religious mania (no hyperbole). Not an effective politician, though.

Lisa Nandy seems to have been less impressive as a shadow minister than she was as a crusading member of the Education Select Committee. She needs a bit more time to have Twigg's job yet. Though he needs to go.

I think it would be better to give it to some old hand who can handle a brief well in the meantime. Maybe get her up there in time for the election though.

Vernon Coaker might not make such a bad shadow education secretary perhaps move Twigg to Northern Ireland. I disagree Tubbs I think Nandy is doing a reasonable job as shadow Children's minister saw her speech attacking the Benefits bill and she came across quite well

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we'll need a chopper and the nuclear bomb squad