The leader of Birmingham City Council has described the appointment of a former counter-terrorism chief to review the Trojan Horse allegations as a ‘missed opportunity’.
Sir Albert Bore (pictured) was left unhappy after the Department for Education (DfE) appointed the ex-Met Police deputy assistant commissioner to look at claims that hard-line Muslims have been attempting to take over the running of schools in the city to push an Islamist agenda.
Sir Albert said: ‘We have been working closely with the DfE in order to understand what might be going on in Birmingham schools – including academies accountable to the DfE – and to reassure parents, staff and governors who are understandably anxious about the impact of the claims being made.
‘Therefore, at first sight, today’s announcement of an independent commissioner is a missed opportunity to strengthen our co-ordinated approach to addressing these very serious matters.
‘Peter Clarke will need to give careful consideration to building a strong relationship with us and, given his recent counter-terrorism responsibilities in London, ensure that his investigation does not undermine the confidence of our communities.’
Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, said: ‘Peter Clarke brings a wealth of relevant skills and experience, and is very well placed to lead a fair and thorough assessment of the evidence, and report back to me.’
Photograph: Birmingham News Room
