Pitch snatchers

Pitch snatchers

Before Thatcher, the Prime Minister went to the cup final. He just did. She was the first to openly derride sport. None who have followed have reversed that trend. Here's the crew who have sold off school pitches. Two have actually worked as teachers, most are career politicians or legals.

Ruth Kelly is in Opus Dei, which for an Education Minister is absolutely terrifying. Ed Balls went to a fee-paying school and did those institutions a huge favour by trying to spread the disruptive and difficult pupils around, so that every state school could be equally rubbish. Gove, well, just look at him. Apparently applying to sell pitches requires all sorts of criteria to be met. Of the last 22 applications 21 have been successful, suggesting the criteria are not particularly stringent.

Here they are, loosely chronologically:

The start of the rot.

Described by Thatcher as "ineffective". Probably sold pitches slowly.

Thought he was good on Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

Parkinson. A disease.

Someone explain those wigs. Really. What's the point?

Good in that About a Boy, didn't'cha think?

Edwina! Madder than Maggie?

"He's alive! Flash is alive!"

Another actual teacher, she was ok as Begbie in Trainspotting.

Yoda I should have gone for, think you not?

One of these belong to an ultra-religious cult. The same one ran our schools.

This bloke seems ok. Played in a band, was a postie. Then it all went wrong and he got elected.

One of my least favourite people, ever. Though education was about getting the bottom line up to the point where, statistically, jail or the dole were a low probability, let the rest fend for themselves. Did wonders for public schools.

This is some sort of joke, right?