A Conservative Isle of Wight councillor and the Conservative Isle of Wight MP have today (Monday) attacked the Isle of Wight council (IWC) leader for agreeing to a request from the Government to appeal against the High Court decision over the Jon Platt school holiday fines case.
The Island Tories, have in turn, been criticised by the Green Party’s education spokesperson, Isle of Wight teacher and Green Party parliamentary candidate, Vix Lowthion (see below).
Jon Platt’s case
Isle of Wight dad, Jon Platt, was found by High Court judges to have no case to answer after refusing to pay a £120 fine after taking his daughter (with good attendance) out of school for a family holiday.
After he won the case, the Schools Minister ‘requested’ the IWC seek to appeal the decision, confirming they would cover all the future legal costs as well as Jon Platt’s costs to date.
Whitehouse: “Vindictive legal pursuit”
With a decision from the Supreme Court on whether they will hear the appeal still being awaited by the council, Isle of Wight Conservative education spokesman, Cllr Chris Whitehouse, issued a press release today stating,
“Cllr Bacon has not informed the Council that his vindictive legal pursuit of Jon Platt no longer involves just that one case, but rather that he, without any mandate from elected members, is seeking to overturn every court ruling in similar cases.
“The papers to be read by the Supreme Court in the immediate future make it absolutely clear that Cllr Bacon wants any unauthorised absence from school, if for even one day, to be considered an offence on the part of the parents. This is complete and utter madness which risks criminalising thousands of parents on the Island and potentially millions nationally.”
Bacon: “Baseless assertions” showing “complete lack of knowledge”
Leader of the IWC, Jonathan Bacon told OnTheWight,
“Out of the blue , Councillor Whitehouse has latched onto this issue and papers which were drafted some time ago. His statement is riddled with baseless assertions and shows a complete lack of knowledge of the law and the situation in this particular case.
“He also completely neglects to remind people that the appeal is being taken forward at the wish and expense of the Department of Education and that we are still subject to a Ministerial Direction from this Department following what the last Conservative Administration did to education on the Isle of Wight.
“The need for the original appeal and the appeal to the Supreme Court is simply because there is no clear definition of ‘regular attendance’ for the purposes of the legislation in question. At the moment the law is not clear as any education professional will tell you. The fundamental issue is not what the definition is but just the need for a clear ruling. If the case is not taken further then we will be left in the current uncertain position.
“The Department of Education has agreed to fund all the costs going ahead and will be seeking to take the reins in the proceedings. The Council’s only costs liability will be at most for its own costs in relation to the original appeal. While stating that the case could be heard imminently Councillor Whitehouse shows how out of touch he is as we have been waiting for news from the Supreme Court since they returned from the summer recess on 9th October.”
Turner: Leader’s decision “breath-taking”
In Cllr Whitehouse’s press release, Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Andrew Turner, is quoted as saying,
“For the Leader of the Isle of Wight Council to have taken it upon himself, without backing from the Full Council, to press for this extreme interpretation of the law, to the detriment of parents and practical commonsense, is frankly breath-taking.
“This is not the right way to handle this complex and sensitive issue. My hope is that the Supreme Court will decline to hear a case that would over-turn the verdicts of similar cases all around the country.”
Lowthion: Conservative councillors and MP must take responsibility for incompetent policies
Vix Lowthion, the IW Green Party and National spokesperson for Education
“Islanders, including Cllr Whitehouse, should be reminded that this is a Conservative Government Policy (my emphasis) imposed by their party on the Isle of Wight and Local Authorities across the country.
“It is not the IW Council who is to blame – it is the Conservative Government.
“I have seen a huge amount of Conservative press releases in the last fortnight, blaming the council for the Solent Deal and private finance water projects and now School Holiday Fines.
“Our Conservative councillors and MP must take responsibility for these incompetent policies themselves, not merely point fingers at others. They need to apply pressure on their own government and ministers and put a stop to this damaging and frankly ridiculous policy of holiday fines which criminalises parents.”
Image: © Simon Haytack
