I accidentally watched an episode of Loose Women this week (my ears are still bleeding) and was reminded of why I can’t stand it. Ruth Langsford, Janet Street-Porter, Sally Lindsay, and Linda Robson were lambasting Nick Clegg, for hinting that his child Antonio might be going to private school.

They were literally harping on like the poor guy had murdered their grandmothers - despite the fact that Ruth Langsford and Linda Robson admitted they had done exactly the same thing as he was suggesting - namely shortlisting their preferred state schools but still applying to private schools in case their children didn’t get into their top choices (her’s, and Linda Robson’s kids are privately schooled as a consequence).

Ruth: “So as a politician, is it Nick Clegg’s duty to support the state education system or should he have the right his right to send his children wherever he wants? ” … making her position perfectly clear later with “Nick Clegg can’t preach to the rest of us”.

Sally Lindsay: “Yes he has the right to send his children wherever he wants, of course he has, but NOT if you are the head of a political movement like the Lib Dem’s, and you say that private education is the great rift in our society” - In the same breath, she conceded that she would send hers to a private school if she couldn’t get in where she wants.

What pathetically hypocritical stances. This is not a trivial little photo opportunity like pasty-gate where he needs to get-down-with-the-masses - it’s his child’s education! Believe me, the knowledge that his kids are getting an expensive education won’t make him any less interested in our state schools - it’s the only government policy he ever talks about (not that he’s managing to have any impact whatsoever).

It seems he can’t even take a leak at the moment without someone wanting to write about it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m won’t ever be inclined to waste my vote on the Lib Dem’s, but I was intrigued at the thought of a coalition - and Nick showed all the early promise of having big enough balls to push through his ideas. But it was always going to be a tough ask, and Nick found himself up against the Juggernaut that is the Conservative Party (looking a little like a poor man’s Robin stood next to a mega-sized Batman).

Let us not forget that he wanted to do something about the extortionate tuition fees that are growing year-by-year like Alex Ferguson’s unchecked ego. It’s not his fault that the personal wealth of the Conservative’s saw this as nosediving down the Government’s agenda leaving Clegg up Shit Creak without a paddle. If walls could talk - I suspect we’d hear Cameron’s fortress reciting desperate pitiful pleas by Clegg to Cameron in a bid to save-face in front of the voters.

From that point on, there was nothing Clegg could do to redeem himself. Worse still, he knew it. His confidence was battered and the cracks turned into gulfs. It would only be bad press from then on in.

But should he really be demonised for hinting that his children will be privately schooled? Wouldn’t we all do the same if we were fortunate enough to earn his salary? I’d be enrolling Dexter to Eton now given half the chance! In fact he actually said he would use the state education system “if it works out, but there is huge competition for places” (Hmm just like our Loose Women then).

We all want what’s best for our children - surely that’s all he wants too. It’s absolutely his right to send them wherever the hell he wants, and good on him. If someone told me (or any of the Loose Women) where they should send theirs, I’d fling a two-word response back at them - no prizes for guessing what this might be

It seems we’re all a little bit ashamed of success in this country. He works hard for his money (think of all that back-pedalling and kissing Cameron’s arse) and should be able to spend it on what he likes.

We’re so quick to roll our eyes when we see hard-working parents send their children off to private school, and start moaning about the state of our local comprehensive’s. Even the new Academies were bashed this week for low results. The truth is, they aren’t that bad. We can’t blame our child’s poor performances on strapped resources when our children should have all the additional resources and support they need at home. Their education is ultimately the responsibility of ours as parents.