Well, well, now we know, thanks to The Argus Saturday Soapbox (August 16), that Brighton & Hove District Labour Party favour academisation at Hove Park School and stand with the local Tory party on the issue – so much so that they write a joint statement.

The statement is as we have come to expect from the pro-academy camp largely hot air. However the one thing that sticks in my throat is when they state the school should now be allowed an ‘even handed debate’.

This is not something the school offered parents in the pitiful ‘consultation process’.

What the authors do is sow seeds in the illusion that the democratic outburst which followed the announcement to register interest in academy status, proved a distortion rather than to open the school up to scrutiny.

The scrutiny has largely been led by the Hands Off Hove Park School campaign which has achieved much in four months. There was a 2,000 strong e-petition and it pushed the school to hold a parental ballot which showed 71% against academisation.

The campaign also observed that the governing body at Hove Park had three governors sitting who had exceeded their tenure.

In the resultant governor election three anti-academy governors were elected. Oh! and by the way the teachers at the school went on strike against the idea of an academy.

The leadership of the school are not bound by any of this and can still plough ahead but with the school driven to a crossroads without a sponsor do the leadership at Hove Park have the wisdom to step back?

We’ll find out following the governing body vote on September 22. Most know what they should do.

Mark Drayton, Molesworth Street, Hove