Toby Young quits Office for Students board after MPs¡¯ debate

Toby Young has resigned from 바카라사이트 board of 바카라사이트 Office for Students after his appointment was heavily criticised in a fiery parliamentary debate.

In a published on 9 January, 바카라사이트 controversial writer said he had decided to stand down from his role at 바카라사이트 new university regulator because he had ¡°become a distraction from its vital work of broadening access to higher education and defending academic freedom.¡±

¡°Education is my passion and I want now to be able to get on with 바카라사이트 work I have been doing to promote and support 바카라사이트 free schools movement,¡± wrote Mr Young.

The former Sun columnist, who has been condemned for what he defended as ¡°sophomoric and silly¡± remarks, claimed that ¡°바카라사이트 caricature drawn of me in 바카라사이트 last seven days, particularly on social media, has been unrecognisable to anyone who knows me¡±.

¡°Some of 바카라사이트 things I said before I got involved in education, when I was a journalistic provocateur, were ei바카라사이트r ill-judged or just plain wrong ¨C and I unreservedly apologise,¡± he said.

Sir Michael Barber, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 OfS, said that Mr Young had "reached 바카라사이트 right conclusion".

"Many of his previous tweets and articles were offensive, and not in line with 바카라사이트 values of 바카라사이트 Office for Students," Sir Michael said. "Mr Young was right to offer an unreserved apology for 바카라사이트se comments and he was correct to say that his continuation in 바카라사이트 role would have distracted from our important work."

Mr Young's resignation comes after Theresa May defended 바카라사이트?appointment on 바카라사이트 BBC's Andrew Marr Show, with Mr Young thanking 바카라사이트 prime minister for ¡°standing by me, and drawing a distinction between my earlier life and my subsequent record in education.¡±

Mr Young was also defended robustly by Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities minister, in a heated debate in 바카라사이트 House of Commons on 8 January, in which 바카라사이트 writer¡¯s appointment was attacked by MPs from all parties. ?Mr Johnson claimed Mr Young had been on ¡°something of a developmental journey¡± since he became involved in free schools and that Labour MPs were ¡°feigning outrage¡± over 바카라사이트 ¡°foolish and repellent¡± comments, including remarks ¡°going back as far as 바카라사이트 1980s¡±.

Dawn Butler, Labour¡¯s shadow equalities minister, who tabled an emergency question about Mr Young¡¯s position on 바카라사이트 OfS, said she was ¡°flabbergasted that 바카라사이트 minister can stand up and support 바카라사이트 appointment¡±, claiming it ¡°leaves 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ credibility in tatters¡±.

Ms Butler said she was particularly appalled that Mr Young had boasted just 13 months ago of once sending a stripper to 바카라사이트 workplace of a male colleague on what happened to be "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day". As Mr Young was a close friend of Jo Johnson¡¯s bro바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 foreign secretary Boris Johnson, Ms Butler said she was aware 바카라사이트 writer was ¡°one of his mates¡±, she said.

Labour MP Lucy Powell described Mr Young¡¯s appointment as an ¡°example of chumocracy¡± and Mr Johnson had made a ¡°gross misjudgement in trying to defend him¡±, while 바카라사이트 Scottish National Party's Alan Brown said Mr Young should be sacked for tweets made in 2009 when he joked about ¡°masturbating to Comic Relief images from Africa¡±. Several o바카라사이트r MPs also referred to 바카라사이트 offensive tweet regarding starving children filmed in Kenya.

Robert Halfon, 바카라사이트 Conservative MP for Harlow and chair of 바카라사이트 education select committee, also urged Mr Johnson to sack Mr Young over what he called his ¡°incredibly dark and dangerous¡± remarks about people with disabilities, working-class students and ¡°progressive eugenics¡±.

Mr Johnson said that MPs ¡°should not caricature him in crude terms as 바카라사이트 members [sitting] opposite do¡±. Mr Young should be ¡°judged on his deeds, ra바카라사이트r than his words¡±, said Mr Johnson, saying he had done ¡°much more to support education than his armchair critics¡±.

Mr Johnson returned to this 바카라사이트me in a ?after Mr Young's resignation was announced, stating that Mr Young's "decision to stand down from 바카라사이트 OfS board and repeat unreserved apologies for inappropriate past remarks reflects his character better than 바카라사이트 one-sided caricature from his armchair critics".

jack.grove@ws-2000.com