The letter last week from Penny Smith, head of school at Whitmore Primary, where NUT members have been on strike, was quite extraordinary. She said: “I do not believe that Mr Lushington represents the views of NUT members and certainly not the NUT members at Whitmore.” Perhaps she would explain, then, why the NUT members at Whitmore voted for strike action twice, once in an indicative ballot and then in a substantive ballot conducted by the Electoral Reform Society. The outcome was 100 per cent in favour of action and two other members of the teaching staff joined the union during the action.

The good news is that, as a result of the strike action, we have now entered negotiations.

Ms Smith writes: “As a former pupil of Mr Lushington, had I known then what I know now, I would have issued him with a teacher support plan.” I don’t seem to have done too much damage to her career, but had I known then what I know now, I would have offered a course in logic, kindness and negotiation.

Mark Lushington, Hackney NUT.