MP's 'rude' reply blasted by teacher

1:58pm Monday 18th June 2012 in News By Ben James

A TEACHER has branded her MP “ignorant” and “unprofessional” after he sent a scathing personal response to an email opposing academy schools.

Theresa Wyatt, who works at Angmering School, contacted East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton, to challenge his claim that there is no opposition to Worthing High School’s proposed move to academy status.

Part of her email read: “It has been proven not to work already. Please take on board the real situation, it is too easy for you obviously, as an MP, to lie to everyone in order to get what you want and damn what the people and communities want.”

The Conservative politician, who responded with just one sentence, said: “Given such a display of ignorance, arrogance and sheer unadulterated prejudice thank God you are not teaching children in my constituency.”

Ms Wyatt, who admitted that her email was “probably a bit juvenile”, said: “I was shocked by the response. I honestly felt that my letter would be replied by a ‘thank you for your concerns, they have been noted’ letter. Instead I got an abusive and personal attack.”

School governors voted to accept academy plans on May 31 despite parents and teachers protesting outside the meeting. Mr Loughton, in a press release following the decision, praised the school for their “extended consultation with parents and drop-in clinics.”

He added: “Only one constituent has written to me to express their objections. I gather that very few objections were received by the school during the consultation period as well.”

Parents at the school hit out at the MP’s response and Ms Wyatt decided to email him.

She added: “I have dealt with MPs for many reasons in the past, all of which have been a positive experience, even if the subject was not of the positive nature.

“I have never known a professional person who holds such a high status to be so openly derogatory and rude. It is unforgivable that he feels he is even able to treat people with such arrogance.”

When asked by The Argus to explain his response, the MP said: “Her language speaks for itself. “I would not think of sending a constituent such an abusive email which does nothing to further her aims – why should she expect me to take it lying down?”

Comments(33)

mhaiti says...
2:07pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Does it really surprise her that what she admits was a juvenile email is responded to in exactly the same manner.

In one breath she calls MPs liars and then to the argus claims that, “I have dealt with MPs for many reasons in the past, all of which have been a positive experience, even if the subject was not of the positive nature."

I am not defending MPs but when you write an email that is aimed to provoke a reaction don't be surprised when the recipient doesn't "thank you for your concerns"....

If you want to be treated seriously, then act professionally and civilly in the first place.

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s garth says...
2:21pm Mon 18 Jun 12

I'm no Loughton fan but I think his response was justified. Ms Wyatt cannot expect to be treated with courtesy and respect when she is so rude in the first place. As a teacher she should be ashamed of her behaviour instead of complaining to the press.

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JuliaM says...
2:27pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Is this the sort of standard of teaching we can expect? Chippy, whining and able to dish it out, but totally unable to take it?

Oh, well. I guess it explains the reason so many school leavers are functionally illiterate and ill- prepared for work.

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mimseycal says...
2:38pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Shocking response to a shocking email. Had I received an email in those tones, I probably wouldn't have even bothered to reply. Though I am no fan of Tim Loughton, I'm glad to see that he is human as his response clearly indicates.

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Isaac Rinkfern says...
2:51pm Mon 18 Jun 12

The Lought is well known for this, He even wrote an abusive email to a twelve year old that wrote to him and I myself have been called some quite rude names by him myself, simply for not being middle classed enough.
As for asking whether he "should take it lying down", well, obviously not, we expect him to take it standing up, on hampstead heath, like all the other tories......

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Nathan L says...
2:54pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Her email wasnt shocking, not compared to his. Also remember she was writing to an official government post and he responded in an entirely unprofessional manner. Only Loughton was writing from a professional post, and lets face it worthing's mp's are doing a very shoddy job.

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emzyme says...
3:08pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Tim Loughton is a very rude man, I have several rude emails from him, when working in a professional capacity he should behave that way, as far as Im concerned this teacher had every right to stand up for her beliefs, maybe the MPs should show a bit more compassion instead of behaving like a child, what kind of role model is he??

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mhaiti says...
3:11pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Nathan L wrote:
Her email wasnt shocking, not compared to his. Also remember she was writing to an official government post and he responded in an entirely unprofessional manner. Only Loughton was writing from a professional post, and lets face it worthing's mp's are doing a very shoddy job.
Not compared to his? So compared to another email it may have been?

As for her not writing from a professional post, she was using her role as a teacher to enforce her argument. Irrespective of whether she sent this from a work email account she was still writing in a professional capacity.

What may have been a better idea is to write an open letter to the argus detailing why she disagreed with what was being stated and then allow the paper to contact the MP for a response.

Instead she included a petulant sentence in an email that robbed her of the right to expect a reasonable response.

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Number Six says...
3:15pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Nathan L wrote:
Her email wasnt shocking, not compared to his. Also remember she was writing to an official government post and he responded in an entirely unprofessional manner. Only Loughton was writing from a professional post, and lets face it worthing's mp's are doing a very shoddy job.
Isn't she in an official government post also? Calling someone a liar is unacceptable unless she can prove it. Is that what we want to teach children? That really would be unprofessional

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PaulOckenden says...
3:27pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Headline: Idiot sends nasty email to twit. Twit sends rude reply to idiot.

That's it, really. That's the sum of this story.

I just can't work who is the biggest idiot: The moaner, the MP, the journalist who thought this was a story, or me for reading to the end. Or maybe you for getting as far as this comment.

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sbiscorrupt says...
3:37pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Irrespective of what was sent, this reply appears to be up to the Louts usual standard!

Maybe the reason why he claims he only got one objection is that people have realised it's pointless contacting him if you dare to have a differing view to his...

Or maybe 'liar' is quite appropriate since he (like the school) seems to have ignored the large opposition to this, and the very sizeable petition...But hey, why let the facts get in the way!

The 'Lout' is probably one of the most arrogant, ignorant, prejudiced, self serving MP's around...

And given the standard of his colleagues, that's saying something!

He has also been caught out behaving like a childish yob in the houses of parliament more than once, so his judgement on her teaching is not one to be taken seriously...

And like a true tory who welcomes the privatisation of our education system, I wonder if he is thinking about how he can 'benefit' from this conversion...

After all, prior to being put into government he was earning £30k per year (on top of his MP's wages) as a 'director' of classwatch which puts spy cameras into classrooms!

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Cabin fever says...
3:52pm Mon 18 Jun 12

"Instead I got an abusive and personal attack.”

As did he in the first place, it appears...

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emzyme says...
3:58pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Diddums poor Lout for daring to pretend to help his lowly constituents (see childish response) He puts himself out there what does he expect??

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Sudseax says...
4:03pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Tim Loughton has safe majority in East Worthing and Shoreham. If he had to work harder to get elected we might find he was more respectful of views and evidence that don't coincide with his own opinions.

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Number Six says...
4:45pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Sudseax wrote:
Tim Loughton has safe majority in East Worthing and Shoreham. If he had to work harder to get elected we might find he was more respectful of views and evidence that don't coincide with his own opinions.
He's the only person who's ever bothered to knock on my door and canvass my vote

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jarmonesque says...
4:48pm Mon 18 Jun 12

I was on the end of Tim Loughton in my job as a community nurse as a 'family friend' of his had had their social care cut. He did not like my response that it was cuts from his government and that he had more influence over social care cuts than me, a lowly nurse! He then complained to the chief executive of the NHS trust, who backed me.

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Al Bion says...
4:53pm Mon 18 Jun 12

I'm not at all surprised at the response from Tim Loughton, when Theresa Wyatt was being so openly derogatory and rude herself.

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Number Six says...
5:01pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Is there some reason that I don't know about why someone who works at Angmering School is getting involved with what happens at Worthing High School?

That's a genuine question btw

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Lewesradical says...
5:19pm Mon 18 Jun 12

I'm not a Tory. I am a retired teacher. Ms.Wyatt's email was a disgrace. If I had received it I would have said something a **** sight ruder than Mr.Loughton did.

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Ringmer Rich says...
5:35pm Mon 18 Jun 12

He responded in kind, which is acceptable, I guess, in playground politics, but he never followed it up with any kind of response to her grievance. This, to be honest sums up the Tory party at the moment. They don't give a toss about what the general populace thinks. They just want to follow their flawed dogma to the bitter end.

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NickBrt says...
6:15pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Sadly one can expect nothing different from a Conservative. They are all arrogant, with no regard for those who are not multi-millionaires and have to live their lives in the real world.

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Number Six says...
7:09pm Mon 18 Jun 12

NickBrt wrote:
Sadly one can expect nothing different from a Conservative. They are all arrogant, with no regard for those who are not multi-millionaires and have to live their lives in the real world.
So, no sweeping statements on this board then. I'm a conservative and I'm not a millionaire, far less a multi one.

Of course, had it been a New Labour MP they would never have adopted that sort of attitude. Unless they were Gordon Brown

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HJarrs says...
9:24pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Number Six wrote:
NickBrt wrote: Sadly one can expect nothing different from a Conservative. They are all arrogant, with no regard for those who are not multi-millionaires and have to live their lives in the real world.
So, no sweeping statements on this board then. I'm a conservative and I'm not a millionaire, far less a multi one. Of course, had it been a New Labour MP they would never have adopted that sort of attitude. Unless they were Gordon Brown
I think that Theresa Wyatt should now write a calm email pointing out exactly why she considers the MP to be a liar and why he seems not to give a dam about local communites. Though I find it hard you will find evidence of this, he is a Conservative after all. Snouts in the trough boys!!!

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Warren Morgan says...
9:55pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Politicians get called liars on a fairly regular basis. People sound off sometimes, which is fair enough, and e-mail/online communications make it easier to do that (though I came in for some fairly strong words face to face at the weekend)It comes with the territory. Some might think that is justified, others not, but politicians should not respond in kind. It does not do his office or our "profession" for want of a better word, any favours. Nor does it raise the tone of debate.

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leobrighton says...
10:20pm Mon 18 Jun 12

Fair enough he shouldn't respond in kind but can be forgiven. Its stupid to go to the press and complain about a rude reply to a rude e-mail.

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emzyme says...
10:49pm Mon 18 Jun 12

She is entitled to her view, and the lout is lying as he generally does. Academys are a bad idea from my experience.

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Retired Loon in Brighton says...
9:00am Tue 19 Jun 12

The concept of academies is a brilliant idea. Not for educational reasons...that's all stuffed through GCSEs being far, far simpler than O levels were and the amount of cheating that is ignored via continuous assessment.

No, the benefit I see is that using 'academy' may well allow potential employees to quickly and simply discard CVs from people with the word 'academy' where it should have read 'school'.

Urgent action should be taken to further change the titles to "Fame Academy" - anyone trying to study anything other than hairdressing, nail technology, or 'dramatic social street dancing' may desire the alternative that seems so popular with parents who have lots of money?

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Joshiman says...
9:04am Tue 19 Jun 12

Get over it attention seeker

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PaulOckenden says...
9:06am Tue 19 Jun 12

End of.

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Retired Loon in Brighton says...
9:08am Tue 19 Jun 12

Joshiman wrote:
Get over it attention seeker
Try harder. A claim of attention seeking? From someone whose posts read like a cry for help?

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whereisthe...? says...
1:15pm Tue 19 Jun 12

Yeah, except she ISN'T the one who is part of a the group destroying this country and the poor. SHE HAD ABSOLUTELY EVERY RIGHT TO SEND THAT EMAIL - HE should have been aware that there are MILLIONS furious at him and his lot. Ergo, her actions are justified, his are not. But then, he is a Tory, so that's no surprise there then...

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Number Six says...
2:49pm Tue 19 Jun 12

I didn't realise that millions of people knew anything about the status of Worthing High School.

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miomai says...
1:20pm Sun 8 Jul 12

Number Six wrote:
Is there some reason that I don't know about why someone who works at Angmering School is getting involved with what happens at Worthing High School?

That's a genuine question btw
Number Six, we should all be involved in the education of our children and what happens in our schools, wherever we may work. This may not be the case, but perhaps us educators are the best placed to understand the detrimental effects of Academy status on education? Good on her for making her voice heard, I say.

I have also had an argumentative and rude response from Mr Loughton, and my letter to him wasn't rude at all. I can't wait until I move into his constituency next month and can use my vote to send him a message he can't argue with!

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