Tory party not damaged by alleged EDL scandal, insists education chief

Nicky Morgan, who was was visiting Wolverhampton Girls' High School in Tettenhall Road yesterday with Wolverhampton South West MP Paul Uppal, said the saga would not affect the party's candidates at the General Election.

Speaking prior to his resignation, she said: "I think people in this area and elsewhere, and members of the public are sensible enough to distinguish between the actions of one person and the wider successes of the Conservative-led Coalition that has been the big campaign message about securing the future of Britain, which Paul and I and all the MPs in the Conservative Party and prospective candidates will be fighting on over the next six weeks."

He was set to be facing a hearing over his future today but resigned yesterday afternoon. Earlier in the day Mrs Morgan would not be drawn on whether he should be axed by the party: "It's a very serious situation and the party is investigating. I'm not going to prejudge what the party might decide but clearly we are taking it very seriously and we are all very focussed on the campaign ahead and getting those messages out."

Mr Uppal said he did not think the affair would damage the Conservative Party and its reputation or record in regards to ethnic minorities.

He said: "With someone like me who represents Wolverhampton South West, people are aware that we are a party who who has all sorts of people in it with people of all backgrounds. That doesn't change because of this.

"I come from an East African Sikh background who holds the seat previously held by Enoch Powell. People are going to look at what that person has done or can do for them. I speak to a lot of people and their top priority is the economy."

Mrs Morgan met with the school's head teacher Trudi Young, met with the school council and went into science and politics lessons, as well a rehearsal of the production of Alice in Wonderland.