'Incredibly unfair': Primary schools hit out at repeat London election polling stations demand

Two London primary schools have hit out being used as polling stations for an upcoming by-election only weeks after they had to close for the local elections.

St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School and Henry Cavendish have been requisitioned for use in the by-election in the Lambeth ward of Streatham’s St Leonard’s ward.

Saiqa Ali, who was suspended by the Green Party over controversial social media posts, remained on the ballot paper for May’s local elections and was elected to represent the ward last month.

Her decision to not take up the role has triggered a fresh election, due to take place on July 2.

But headteachers at the schools argue the use of their premises — for the second time in two months — will cause further disruption to student’s learning and force parents to find alternative childcare arrangements.

Both schools were used as polling stations in the May 7 elections.

In a letter from the headteacher at Henry Cavendish, Matthew Aspley, said the school was not happy with the request made by Lambeth Council.

“To be asked to close again less than two months later causes significant and unnecessary disruption to our pupils’ learning and to your own work and childcare arrangements,” the letter read.

Councils in the UK have statutory powers to request public buildings, like schools and fire stations, for use as polling stations.

The head teacher of St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School, Simon Jackson, holds the same view.

While he has complied with the request, Mr Jackson told parents he had “made his feelings known” to the local authority.

“It feels incredibly unfair that our children must bear the consequences of an adult’s actions by losing a day of their education,” he wrote.

Ms Ali was suspended by the Green Party in April after she was accused of writing and sharing anti-Semitic posts, as first reported by The Spectator.

In one post she allegedly wrote that Donald Trump “is owned by Jews”, while another showed a snake with the Israeli flag printed on its skin as it wraps itself around the world. Ms Ali allegedly captioned the post: “It’s time to cut the head of this snake. #FreePalestine.”

She was later arrested by the Metropolitan Police.

Lambeth Council has been contacted by The Standard for comment.