Your feature last week on the Educational Institute of Scotland claimed that I had been “kicked out” of the Labour Party. May I point out that this was not the case.

At one point, I was suspended “without limit of time” from the Labour Group on Glasgow District Council for defying the party whip on a poll tax matter (the sequestration of the council’s housing benefits records). But unlike other colleagues who chose to leave the party and stand as Militant candidates, I remained a member for several years after that point before finally despairing of New Labour and consciously resigning.

Since then, I have continued my EIS activity without party political affiliation.

Larry Flanagan, Education convener, EIS.