Schoolgirl heckled at Labour conference

By Ian Dunt

A schoolgirl who told the Labour conference she attended a City academy was heckled by a fellow delegate today.

The schoolgirl, from Paddington Academy, tried to express her pride in her education but the audience, most of whom oppose the academy programme, were unimpressed.

“Heckling a schoolgirl because she goes to an academy is disgraceful," education secretary Michael Gove said.

"But it also shows the real face of Labour – a party where aspiration and achievement gets booed."

Some commentators suggested Gove went a step too far when he demanded the heckler be expelled from the Labour party.

The schoolgirl said she was a year 11 pupil who had arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker. She praised the education she had received in Britain.

The hall had just finished sitting in silence during a speech by City Academy Norwich headmaster Dave Brunton, although there was some tepid applause at the end.

Ed Miliband focused much of fire on Gove during his conference speech, but Labour supports most of the Department's of Education's free schools programme.