Blair is a dictator, says teacher leader

A teachers' leader has accused Tony Blair of running a dictatorship.

The charge came from Nigel de Gruchy, who retires today after more than a decade leading the NASUWT, the second-biggest teaching union.

Mr de Gruchy, noted for his outspoken comments, ridiculed the Government's plans to introduce compulsory citizenship education into secondary schools from September. He told his union's annual conference in Scarborough that government policy was decided not by Parliament or the Cabinet, but by a "little coterie of special advisers, friends of the president - sorry, Prime Minister - and, it seems, assorted millionaires.

"Even Cabinet government is now a myth. Just as in other styles of dictatorship, the whole system depends on the fawning ambition of underlings, all jostling to become the next president - sorry, prime minister."

He added: "I say to Tony Blair, restore democracy to your party, restore it to Parliament, restore it even to the Cabinet and then citizenship might be worth teaching."

Mr de Gruchy said the Government was responsible for the political cynicism it claimed to be addressing. "No wonder the turn out at the last election was down to 60 per cent," he said. "People aren't stupid."