Emily Thornberry was attacked by the BBC’s Andrew Neil for the “hypocrisy” of her actions but the Labour leadership candidate defended her decision as she said Ofsted recognises it as a comprehensive school. She went on to say she will never apologise for doing what is best for her children. Mr Neil asked: “Is there any role for selection in the state school system?”

Speaking on BBC 2’s The Andrew Neil Show, Ms Thornberry said: “I believe in a comprehensive system.”

Mr Neil interjected: “But you sent your son to a partially-selected school.”

Ms Thornberry continued: “I sent my children to a school that had been in Islington and is oversubscribed and there was a selection for the first child.

“It had been in my constituency for 200 years and when it moved out, it said it would still have children from Islington.

“Whether you are a child in care and they select children from being in care.”

Mr Neil quipped the school, which is 30 miles out from Islington, selected on ability and aptitude of students too.

The Labour leadership candidate said: “It was a partially selected school. It’s a comprehensive school and that’s what Ofsted have said.”

The host said: “It’s a selective school, Emily.

“A lot of people will see this as hypocrisy. You’re against selection but not when it comes to your own kids.”

Ms Thornberry added: “As a politician, I want to make sure we have good schools up and down the country.

“But as a mother, I will never apologise for doing the best for my kids. Any mother watching this will agree with me.”

She received a huge backlash online for the comments as one Twitter user wrote: “The hypocrisy of the left usually just makes me laugh at them. When it comes to education, it makes my blood boil.

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“How dare you condemn the rest of us to one of your lowest common denominator comps while lifting your own kids into a privileged existence.”

Another added: “Hypocrisy Labour isn’t the working class anymore – they are all multimillionaires.”

A third person said: “In your manifesto Emily, Labour wanted to abolish private schools and you backed it to the hilt.

“Perhaps those mothers wanted to do the best for their kids also.”

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