Gollop to talk Education out of its mindset

His natural ability to see both sides in most arguments and stay calm under pressure makes him an ideal candidate for a committee reeling from the resignation of its vice president, the fallout from its deceptive Facebook campaign and the poor reception its post-16 schooling plans have had.

With a huge debate on the secondary system to come, Education badly needs someone to advise them who is outside of the ‘them against us’ group-think that seems to have taken hold of its members.

He is also a valuable addition to the Culture side of the committee’s mandate at a time when faith in the States’ commitment to arts and sports has been shaken.

Deputy Gollop knows that this will be a bumpy ride.

To join a damaged board which is just weeks away from presenting its defining piece of work to a divided Assembly is akin to mission impossible. He will need both his law degree and post-graduate skills in psychotherapy to negotiate a path around the many obstacles in his path.

Not least of which is that the secondary school debate is likely to be held under a dark cloud of doubt following the committee’s poor decision to delay the release of the minutes of its meetings over the PR campaign.

Deputies and the public cannot be blamed for concluding that the minutes do not exactly support the tale told by Education board members who are all too keen to pin the blame on one fall guy.

If Education’s main proposition fails and the two-school model is preferred, the content of those minutes might become a moot point should members choose to walk away rather than see through a policy they do not support.

Given that not one of its five members – including Deputy Gollop – is a dyed-in-the-wool fan of all-ability schools it would be no surprise if some on the committee preferred to resign than once again put aside their political scruples and champion another education scheme which they neither wanted nor voted for.