Last night I took the opportunity to question the Conservative leader of the Council about his references during the week to disabled children attending Radcliffe Riverside. He had stated at a previous meeting that “It’s a reality of life” and the move to The Derby High could pose “A bit of a problem” as it does not have disabled access.

Whilst he clarified his comments last night, I told him that his remarks had been totally insensitive to the concerns of disabled people in the Borough not least Radcliffe and he should have apologised.

I also put it to him that the disability access issue is symptomatic of a Conservative Council making policy in a panic, on-the hoof and that the reorganisation of high schools had been mishandled and was a shambles.

He neither apologised or agreed with me – no surprise there. What was surprising was the leader of the Labour group accusing me of hypocrisy. This was apparently because we supported the motion to proceed with merger (with the Derby) to get the school built. Cheap points scoring, when he knows full well we never agreed to close Riverside before The Derby High. And we have consistently pressed for the pupils, parents, staff and Governors to be fully consulted and kept on side all along. Of course what we now know is that the Tories panicked and the rest is history.