Britain: Left-wing British Labour MP Ms Diane Abbott has admitted that sending her son to a private school was "indefensible" but declared she was ready to sacrifice her reputation for consistency for his sake.
James Abbott (12) is due to start at City of London School next September, and earlier this week reportedly called a radio phone-in show to defend his mother, saying she was putting his wishes first. But Ms Abbott was widely pilloried, especially as she has attacked both Mr Tony Blair and Solicitor General Ms Harriet Harman in the past for sending their children to selective state schools.
In her first public comments since the dispute broke out, Ms Abbott told BBC1's This Week: "It is inconsistent, to put it mildly, for someone who believes in a fairer and more egalitarian society to send their child to a fee-paying school."
Ms Abbott has for some time been a critic of state schools because exam results achieved by African-Caribbean pupils in Britain are much worse than those gained by white, Indian and Chinese pupils.
She blames racist white teachers for the fact that black boys in particular do less well than their peers, and are more likely than any other pupils to be suspended or expelled.
"I had to choose between my reputation as a politician and my son," Ms Abbott said. - (PA)