I have learnt the hard way. Not only has the Left fought us every step of the way in the establishment of our free school, but when I voted Conservative last year, many on the Left were deeply hurt. I cannot count the number of times I heard that "someone like me" should know better. There was a deep sense of betrayal: how dare I, a woman of colour, vote Conservative when I should be grateful to the intellectual Left elite? They understand Toby Young being a Conservative. People like me are not allowed such freedoms.

But if the Left is so concerned with the ethnic minority plight, how can Hackney council be attempting to shut down the black bookshop Centerprise, which hosts all sorts of events for the black community? Not only that, but Hackney council has one of the worst records for placing adopted children, whereas Harrow (which has a far smaller ethnic population) is the best. Most children in care in Hackney are from ethnic minorities. Because certain councils are unable to move babies off their books quickly, these babies are grown before you know it and lose their appeal for many potential adoptive families, thus ensuring them a lifetime in and out of care.

Not all left-wing councils have absolutely rejected free schools: Newham, for instance, has embraced Peter Hyman's. Being Tony Blair's strategist before becoming a teacher probably explains Hyman's success. The difficulty Ray Lewis-Boris Johnson's adviser and former deputy mayor who does remarkable work with local black boys-has had with Newham council leaves me wondering what on earth is going on.