Row over governor's NF links

A row has broken out over the appointment of a former member of the far-right National Front as a school governor.

Stephen Newman - now a Conservative Party member and school governor of Cadaxton school in Barry near Cardiff - joined the National Front 21 years ago but left soon afterwards.

A Labour councillor and an anti-racist have condemned his appointment as "unacceptable" and said anyone with connections to the extreme-right organisation should be barred from having links with schools.

Vale Council leader Jeffrey James

Mr Newman was a member of the Conservative Party before leaving to join the National Front in the late 1970s.

But, he says, within 18 months he had become digusted with the NF's anti-semitism and hostile attitude to freemasonry and left the party.

Eight years later he re-joined the Tories and stood as a councillor in the Vale of Glamorgan in the last election.

Labour councillor Fred Johnson brought the issue to the fore when he said Mr Newman's former association with the NF should bar him from any links with schools.

Since then Jazz Iheanacho, of Race Equality First, has called the situation "unacceptable".

"It does not make any difference how long ago he was a member," he said.

"It is totally unacceptable and deplorable that this man should be appointed knowing his history."

But Mr Newman insists he has got on well with staff and with the head at Cadoxton School since he was appointed.

"I have never denied being a member of the organisation and I have never tried to hide it," he said.

'No connection since'

"But it was more than 20 years ago and I have had no connection at all with them since I left.

"I really enjoy being a school governor and I get on very well with the staff and the head teacher. I am not quite sure why this has come out now."

Vale of Glamorgan Council leader Jeffrey James said a full investigation of all the candidates for governor had been carried out by the authority's chairman of education.

"He (Mr Newman) is a father himself and very responsible in that respect," he said.

"I don't see why the previous membership of a political party should preclude him from taking part in a governors' meeting."