Clare Short fury at school ‘snub’

Nov 13 2008 by Tony Collins, Birmingham Mail

ANGRY Birmingham MP Clare Short today branded her old Catholic school “incredibly rude” after it withdrew a prize-giving invitation because of parents’ objections to her stance on abortion.

Ms Short, the now independent MP for Ladywood, was due to have attended her former school, the Catholic St Paul’s School for Girls in Edgbaston tomorrow night.

But the invite to the 62-year-old former International Development Secretary, who captured Ladywood for Labour in 1983, has now been scrapped after a group of parents threatened a vigil outside the school gates during the prize-giving event.

When news of the withdrawn invitation was revealed by the Birmingham Mail to Ms Short, she said: “This shows how incredibly rude they are and is the same reason so many Catholic girls cease to be Catholics.

“It is the height of bad manners but I am pleased to have the evening to myself.”

The planned protest was co-ordinated by parent, and mother of ten, Jackie Parkes through her blog on the internet.

Mrs Parkes, 46, who lives in Edgbaston, said: “We found out by letter that Clare Short was being invited to the school to present awards to pupils.

“But it’s a Catholic school and Clare Short has a record of voting in favour of abortion. Just because she’s an MP, and a former pupil, doesn’t make her a good role model.

“I currently have four girls at St Paul’s and we are very much into Catholic education.”

Mrs Parkes, who has eight daughters and two sons aged eight to 21, said about 20 parents were due to attend the peaceful protest outside the school from 7pm.

She said she was later told by the Oratory Catholic Church in Edgbaston that the invitation to Miss Short had been withdrawn.

“This is a victory for the wishes of parents who felt she shouldn’t have been invited,” added Mrs Parkes.

A spokeswoman for St Paul’s School confirmed: “The invitation to Clare Short has been withdrawn and we have another guest speaker for Friday.”

She declined to say why the invitation to the Ladywood MP had been cancelled.

Ms Short, whose mother, aunt and sisters also attended St Paul’s, previously voted against legislation to cut the time limit for abortions from 24 weeks to 21 which, its backers claimed, would reduce the current 180,000 terminations a year.

She has also attacked the Catholic Church for its opposition to contraception.