Labour’s Chris Vince continues to put pressure on MP Robert Halfon over SFG College
General / Fri 10th Nov 2023 at 03:51pm
THE prospective parliamentary candidate for Harlow, Chris Vince has criticised MP Robert Halfon over the ongoing problems with SFG College.
Chris Vince said: “Harlow’s Conservative MP has dodged countless questions from parents and carers of children who should be attending SFG college but can’t because of the chaos caused by the Department of Education, where he serves as a Minister.
Yesterday, we learnt that Conservative donor David Wernick has landed a lucrative £11.5 million contract to repair schools affected by RAAC, no doubt earning him handsome profits and rewards. In the light of these revelations Harlow’s current MP must now answer these questions. “Who is responsible for the botched construction of SFG and will anyone associated with the Conservative party be profiting from providing temporary accommodation for students?”
So far Mr Halfon has avoided answering questions by saying he is the Minister for Skills and this is not part of his brief, yet he is happy to have his name added to communications from SFG, so this really is no excuse. Whatever his ministerial role he is, or certainly should be, first and foremost a constituency MP accountable to Harlow residents.
I have been contacted by many parents over the last couple of weeks who are really anxious about the uncertainty they face with regards their children’s education and once again my sympathy is with them. Today’s news about the school opening next week is welcome but questions still remain unanswered by the DfE.
“So, come out of hiding and don’t dodge this one Mr Halfon, pupils, parents, and the whole Harlow community deserve an answer”.
We have invited Mr Halfon to reply.
James Leppard
2023-11-10 16:42:31
Mr Vince is again seeking protagonism, yet continues blatantly to evade replying to two significant and highly pertinent letters from Harlow resident, David Forman, directed to Mr Vince and published on YH as follows: 1. Letter to Editor: Deafening silence on Gaza by Harlow Labour leader -01 November 2023 2. Letter to Editor: Hypocrisy of Labour over local elections - 06 November 2023 “So, come out of hiding and don’t dodge this one Mr Vince, the whole Harlow community deserves an answer”. Mr Vince is hereby invited to reply.
Mark Ingall
2023-11-10 16:46:31
Mr Vince is right to ask this question. The Conservatives awarded hundreds of millions of pounds of public money to newly set up companies that benefitted Conservative donors, relatives and friends, for PPE that turned out to be useless, during the pandemic. So it's an entirely valid question that Mr Halfon should answer. Are they at it again, using the SFG chaos as an excuse to award hugely profitable contracts to their donors?
James Leppard
2023-11-10 17:18:05
Yes. I am also right to ask the question. Why are Mr Vince and Harlow Labour so evasive over two issues that are abundantly comprehensible and clear? Why the silence? What is so complicated? Surely, Mr Forman deserves a reply. Not like Harlow Labour to hide in the shadows. I think residents would expect more from a prospective Labour MP Andrew of the opposition on the council. Maybe, I am wrong and he is not up to the job. Only he can answer.
James Leppard
2023-11-10 17:19:11
Yes. I am also right to ask the question. Why are Mr Vince and Harlow Labour so evasive over two issues that are abundantly comprehensible and clear? Why the silence? What is so complicated? Surely, Mr Forman deserves a reply. Not like Harlow Labour to hide in the shadows. I think residents would expect more from a prospective Labour MP and leader of the opposition on the council. Maybe, I am wrong and he is not up to the job. Only he can answer.
Kim Oconnor
2023-11-10 18:35:32
James Leppard, you all hide in the shadows when it suits you all. Labour and conservatives.
David Forman
2023-11-10 19:02:28
As the author of one those letters I thought a response from Chris Vince was a matter of good manners, especially as my democratic choice of 4 yearly local elections was scuppered by a Labour Group leader using the whip to stop his own councillors voting for it. When I see Labour and Green Party members justify undemocratic behaviour and justifying a a parliamentary candidate hiding from scrutiny by the electorate then we know those people don't respect democracy or the people.
James Leppard
2023-11-10 19:54:39
I apologise to John Wake. Nevertheless, still silence from the normally loquacious Mr Vince. Quite remarkable.
James Leppard
2023-11-10 22:54:10
In October 2020, the EHRC published its report, finding that the Labour party was "responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination". In other words, guilty of racism.Surely, it is reasonable to enquire where the Labour Parliamentary candidate stands on this contemporary issue.
Pedro
2023-11-10 23:41:22
Chris Vince continues to remain silent on Gaza simply so ad no to to no upset core voters, #fact
Tiredoffailedpoliticalnorms
2023-11-11 01:08:14
Mr Leppard, I note that in other posts on this esteemed forum you are ferociously quick to point out when others stray from the topic in question. Here the relevant topic of the trail is the the shameful shambles of the SFG school due to Conservative government incompetence…..be a good chap, and stick to the topic.. and cease the hypocrisy …and frankly distasteful tactics of using the tragedy in Gaza/Israel to score cheap political points..
James Leppard
2023-11-11 07:58:05
I don't agree. Chris Vince is guilty of hypocrisy, demanding responses from others when he blatantly fails to respond to issues and questions directed to him by residents. By the way, the two letters to him were not written by me. But like like many others, I would be interested to hear his answers. He is the prospective parliamentary candidate for Labour and as such will be challenged on a range of issues.
Bruce Downey
2023-11-11 08:03:17
Keeping a low profile.. ‘ red under the bed ‘
Tiredoffailedpoliticalnorms
2023-11-11 08:48:19
James Leppard, I repeat please stay on topic… which I in this case is…. the terrible situation this Conservative government has placed Harlow pupils, parents and teachers at the SFG …, as a Harlow councillor they ought to be your priority. Enough of these tedious and quite frankly boring political tactics of deflect, distract and deny. Thank you.
James Leppard
2023-11-11 08:52:48
Tiredoffailedpoliticians. Very well. I understand your point. This reflects very poorly on Mr Vince. No further comment.
Dan
2023-11-11 09:06:15
I think Mr Leppard that this reflects very poorly on you and is simply the Conservative "what about'ism" that runs rife in the party. When faced with a simple question, the standard Conservative response is to try and deflect to something else. Perhaps what this really shows is that there is no confidence in Mr Halfon to be able to respond constructively to the questions raised by Mr Vince?
Gary Scott
2023-11-11 10:20:18
Does he know what a woman is yet, as the Labour Party still don't seem to know, because if we can't get a proper response to that simple question how can he be trusted with anything else, he didn't know when I asked him in Nichollsfield, just moved me fo asking, again people do not trust these people
Gary Scott
2023-11-11 10:21:41
Does he know what a woman is yet, as the Labour Party still don't seem to know, because if we can't get a proper response to that simple question how can he be trusted with anything else, he didn't know when I asked him in Nichollsfield, just mocked me fo asking, again people do not trust these people
parent at SFG
2023-11-11 15:07:22
For some of these comments it appears Chris Vince has taken a bit criticism, at worst for opportunistically helicoptering on in local issue and scoring points for his opposition party. But I don't think this is the case, the problem is getting SFG back up and running with the support the children, staff and parents and other parties involve deserve, we are not asking for special privileges, just the education our children should be entitled to. Irrespective of any party allegiance its not the time for point scoring and to be fair Chris Vince has a right and need to healthily challenge the current government over what is serial incompetence, and Chris Vince being an opposition party member is likely to ask sharper and less comfortable questions than a member in the current government, as there is less conflict of interest. It seems Chris Vince does get a bit of a political bashing, but his presence is desirable in a democracy - and as long as the focus is not political point scoring for the sake of, but helping SFG out of mess, it in no way contributed to, then he is welcome to support in my opinion. SFG has involved a colossal waste of tax payer money, by the serial incompetence of the DfE and its fair to get this addressed, rectified, and prevented from happening again. SFG fundamentally can be a great school, it has high aspirations - just consistently let down by the DfE.
18 Comments for Labour’s Chris Vince continues to put pressure on MP Robert Halfon over SFG College: