DEWSBURY MP Shahid Malik has reacted strongly against Kirklees Council accusations which he says ‘malign’ the decent and honest school campaign in Mirfield.
He hit out at suggestions that many of the objections to plans to shut Castle Hall School were fraudulent.
He said: “I’m disappointed at the council’s attack on Castle Hall and the parents’ group Reach.
“There is a suggestion that a very, very small number of signatories may not have been legitimate and it appears that the council is using this to malign and smear the entire campaign.
“If local support is truly the defining factor for the council, then I challenge them to have a referendum in Mirfield to establish the actual support that Castle Hall enjoys.
“Both the Mirfield schools and all the Reach parents have been completely committed, honest and trustworthy throughout the campaign. Any remarks inferring otherwise are made in very bad taste.”
Mr Malik confirmed the schools were currently speaking to their legal teams in preparation for mounting an appeal to the independent adjudicator for schools.
He said: “The arguments are overwhelmingly in favour of Castle Hall staying open and The Mirfield Free Grammar School maintaining its current provision.
“This is the best performing non selective school in the whole of Kirklees.
“Mirfield feels very let down by Conservatives, Lib Dems and Labour alike on this issue.”
