1/27/2010 2:49:11 PM #

It's weasel words, half-truths, allusions, inferences all the way isn't it? I suppose Balls would claim, 5000 represents a minority of the total number of home educators. Of course, as was pointed out, everyone had a chance to express their views for or against, and the vast majority of those who wished to express an opinion, wished to express the opinion that it is wrong. Without checking back against the breakdown, I seem to remember the votes in favour of the proposals could mostly be accounted for by the submissions from local authorities, and organisations only tangentially related to HE but with an interest in securing funding. That Badman should say he himself had spoken to a home educator who was in favour of the measures, and I should know specifically who he is referring to, shows where most people's feeling lie.

Politicians should realise, generally, that this sort of verbal slipperiness where they say one thing, and then later say "Of course, what I meant was...", is the sort of behaviour that leaves people utterly cynical about everything they say.

Barry