10 January: The Guardian reports that education secretary Michael Gove has appointed a venture capitalist and enthusiastic supporter of academies to a post as an education minister.
By complete co-incidence John Nash has donated nearly £300,000 to the Tory party since 2006 – £288,000 since David Cameron became leader.
Nash runs a charity which sponsors a range of academies, but claims that he will be impartial in his new role.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2013/jan/10/gove-appoints-john-nash-education-minister