Education Secretary hints at further action after Jewish pro-Israel MP’s school visit blocked

Oliver said in a statement he was “troubled” by the message sent by the cancellation of the planned visit by local MP Damien Egan, who is Jewish and supports Israel, and whose partner is Israeli.

“Last weekend I tasked inspectors to consider the evidence, speak with the school and determine whether further action was needed,” he said yesterday.

"They have concluded the threshold for an inspection was met and they are at the school today. The school was informed this morning and I am very grateful to them for their openness in engaging with the inspectors”, he added.

At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer said that the Government would be “holding those to account who prevented this visit to this school”, while yesterday evening, the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described what happened to Egan as “shocking and completely unacceptable”.

Phillipson said: "Be in no doubt; no MP should ever be barred from doing their job because of their faith or background. Our schools must be places of safety and inclusion – not exclusion.

"My department has been in direct contact with Ofsted and I welcome their urgent inspection and look forward to their findings.”

She added: “I will not rule out further action."

In a Facebook post in September, the NEU’s Bristol branch boasted that Egan’s visit to the school had been prevented by union activists.

“MP Damian [sic] Egan’s planned school visit ... this Friday has been cancelled after concerns were raised by the NEU trade union staff group, parents and local constituents”, the post said, adding: “This is a clear message: politicians who openly support Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza are not welcome in our schools.”

The post went on to attack Egan for serving as vice chair of the Labour Friends of Israel group, and for visiting Israel “since the current onslaught on Gaza began, demonstrating his support.”

It added: “We celebrate this cancellation as a win for safeguarding, solidarity, and for the power of the NEU trade union staff group, parents, and campaigners standing together”. An emoji of the Palestinian flag accompanied the post.

The NEU said in a statement that the organisation was “rooted in anti-racism in all forms, including antisemitism” and that the union’s head office “had no knowledge that the school had rescinded the invite to the local MP until it was reported in the press”.

The statement continued: “Indeed, the school is quoted as saying this was a decision that they took and the visit has been rescheduled.

“It is good that MPs, especially those in the party of government, seek to engage with schools, especially on issues such as the dire state of school funding, the intensity of teaching and the impact of social media on young people.

“It is also legitimate for constituents to express their views to MPs on national and international issues, including the extraordinary human suffering in Gaza. The NEU believes in democratic engagement. Central to that is dialogue and discussion, and sometimes this will include a robust exchange of views.

"The NEU strongly believes that education must be a tool in challenging antisemitism and responding to incidents of antisemitism in schools or local communities. The NEU takes this position very seriously. The historical causes of antisemitism must be covered in classes, using the whole curriculum and developing a whole-school culture where racism is taken seriously and challenged."

A spokesperson for Bristol Brunel Academy said: “Damien Egan MP – as a high-achieving alumnus of the CLF [Cabot Learning Federation, which the school is part of], and in common with other local MPs from across the political spectrum – was invited in September to visit Bristol Brunel Academy, a secondary school situated in his constituency of Bristol North East.

“Mr Egan was due to discuss democracy and the role of an MP, while helping to raise aspirations among students who may have an interest in pursuing similar career paths.

“On the evening before Mr Egan’s scheduled visit, we were made aware of plans for a public protest outside the school. As this protest was scheduled to coincide with the end in the school day, we opted to postpone Mr Egan’s visit to ensure everyone would continue to feel safe when entering and exiting school and to prevent any disruption to our students’ learning.

“We have remained in contact with Mr Egan, and an alternative date for his visit was arranged some time ago. We have also been in contact with the police and followed their advice.”