Cabinet minister Kelly loses private education complaint

Cabinet minister Ruth Kelly has lost her complaint against the Daily Mirror, over its coverage of her decision to educate her son privately.

The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) rejected her complaint that the story had breached her son's privacy.

The former education secretary decided to send him to a private school because of his learning difficulties.

The PCC said the Mirror had correctly balanced the public's right to know with the child's right to privacy.

In its ruling, the PCC said the issues raised in the article were "a matter of considerable public interest".

The fact that the complainant did not feel that the current state system could meet her child's requirements raised questions about the nature of publicly-funded schooling

PCC ruling
"The fact that a Cabinet minister - who had previously been Secretary of State for Education and Skills - had elected to remove her child from the state system to be enrolled in a private school raised important issues for public debate," it said.

"Even if government policy included an acceptance of private schooling for those with special needs, the fact that the complainant did not feel that the current state system could meet her child's requirements raised questions about the nature of publicly-funded schooling and its ability to cater for children with special needs - including those whose families would not be able to pay for private schooling."

A spokeswoman for Ms Kelly said she was very disappointed with the decision and she believed the PCC should have granted the same right of privacy to her child, that it does to others.

The story - that a Cabinet minister had sent their child to a private school - was first reported, without names, in the Mail on Sunday.

Ms Kelly, now the Communities Secretary, was named in the Mirror's story the next day, although her child was not. The issue of private education has long been controversial within the Labour Party.

Mirror editor Richard Wallace argued that it was "right and proper" to identify her, as her actions "were clearly at odds with government policy".

(ED: I am just glad that a socialist representative of the people can afford £15k a year private school fees, on top of the normal costs of supports four children, and opt out of her government's education decisions. It's a shame that most people she represents can't afford to opt out but that's New Labour socialism do as we say not as we do.)