Labour MP Conducts Covert School Visit Following Pro-Palestine Protest Threats
Labour MP Damien Egan was compelled to undertake a secretive visit to a Bristol school after pro-Palestinian protestors threatened to target his appearance over his affiliations with the 'Friends of Israel' parliamentary group. The MP for Bristol North East had originally planned to visit Bristol Brunel Academy in September last year, but those plans were abruptly cancelled following a coordinated campaign by far-left staff members at the school, who are represented by the National Education Union (NEU) and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
Campaign Leads to Cancellation Over 'Safeguarding Concerns'
The activists, claiming to represent the views of teachers, parents, and local residents, highlighted Mr Egan's connections to Labour Friends for Israel, leading to his visit being barred on grounds of 'safeguarding concerns'. To the NEU and PSC, forcing the cancellation was celebrated as 'a win for safeguarding, solidarity, and for the power of the NEU trade union staff group, parents, and campaigners standing together.'
Mr Egan serves as the vice chairman of Labour Friends for Israel, a Parliamentary group that advocates for Israel—which it regards as the 'historic homeland' of Jewish people—and supports a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict. The group does not receive funding from the Israeli government.
Secret Rescheduled Visit Amid Security Fears
Although the visit was eventually rescheduled, teachers were not informed in advance, resulting in Mr Egan making his appearance in secret. The Labour MP acknowledged that 'people have got a right to protest', but he emphasised the 'security considerations' that must be taken into account for members of Parliament.
Reflecting on the covert visit, Mr Egan told The Times: 'I had a lovely visit, meeting the head and the school council, the children, the questions, it was fabulous.'
Union Denies Intention to Bar MP, Points to Independent Protest
Jon Redford, the NEU's Bristol representative, told BBC Politics West that staff had 'no intention' of getting Mr Egan barred from his visit. He claimed there had merely been a discussion about staff possibly wearing keffiyeh scarves and watermelon badges in support of Palestine, but he insisted that any protest outside the school was 'entirely independent'.
Redford stated that staff 'wanted to show their opposition to a supporter of a genocidal regime coming to their school' and 'to show there was a different perspective, that he needn't expect complete support for his views.' When pressed for evidence, he pointed to Mr Egan's links to Labour Friends of Israel and his previous visit to the country.
MP Defends Engagement and Group's Work
Mr Egan defended his visit as 'a good thing' because it enabled him 'to go out and meet with people'. He elaborated on the work of Labour Friends of Israel, noting that the group collaborates with left-leaning organisations in Israel and the West Bank. 'They've been pushing the government to put money into a peace programme that will bring civil society organisations this year from Israel, from the West Bank, to come in and speak,' he explained.
The group's website indicates that it is funded by 'the generosity of members of the Jewish community and those who share our commitment to the State of Israel'.
Ofsted Finds No Bias, Trust Orders Independent Review
An Ofsted inspection of Bristol Brunel Academy found 'no evidence of bias' in the day-to-day operations of the school. However, the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), the trust that runs the school, has agreed to commission an independent review of the decision to cancel Mr Egan's visit in September.
This is not the first instance of such controversy for the CLF; last July, it cancelled a speaker from Israeli tech company Check Point Software Technologies at its summer conference following pressure from the NEU.
School Trust Responds to Secret Visit Arrangements
A CLF spokesman told The Times: 'We were pleased to host Damien Egan MP for a productive visit to Bristol Brunel Academy on Thursday. He expressly asked that we did not share the plan for him to visit in advance, and we respected that request.' The spokesman added that any safety concerns related to protest had originated from outside the school.
According to the recent Ofsted inspection findings: 'No member of staff inspectors spoke with were aware of a proposed staff-led protest against the MP's visit. Inspectors heard that staff were proud of the inclusive nature of the school towards pupils, and there was often deep hurt expressed at the way their school was being portrayed. Regardless of how this has been reported elsewhere, there is no evidence that staff at the school proposed wearing specific items of clothing in response to a planned visit.'
