Headmaster quits after making controversial Brexit comments to pupils

Headmaster, 57, who told pupils Brexit will mean Santa won’t be able to come to the UK anymore quits after being bombarded with parent complaints

  • Headmaster Richard Steward told pupils that Brexit would ban Santa Claus
  • He said foreign citizen’ Santa would be barred from flying his sleigh to the UK
  • Mr Steward joked that imports of Christmas trees and wine would be stopped 

 A headmaster who told pupils that Brexit would ban Santa Claus has quit.

Dr Richard Steward claimed ‘foreign citizen’ Santa would be barred from flying his sleigh to the UK in what he said was a ‘fun’ assembly on the last day before Christmas. 

He joked that imports of Christmas trees and wine would be stopped and there would be no more turkeys due to a lack of eastern European farm workers.

Dr Richard Steward who told pupils Brexit will mean Santa won’t be able to come to the UK anymore has quit after being bombarded with complaints from parents

He also suggested that it would be the last decent festive period pupils would have before Britain withdraws from the EU in March.

Dr Steward’s speech to pupils at The Woodroffe School, a comprehensive secondary in Lyme Regis, Dorset, was the talk of parents in the Brexit stronghold.

And on the first day back, Dr Steward, 57, announced he was quitting, saying in a letter: ‘The positive letters I have received from parents over the years would fit neatly into a small ring binder, whereas the letters of complaint would easily fill several large filing cabinets.’ 

Yesterday, Dr Steward said he was bewildered by the complaints about his assembly which he said was intended as a ‘fun way to end the term’.

Claire Denslow, whose 17-year-old daughter attends the school, said: ‘The head was talking utter rubbish about how we wouldn’t have any turkeys because there wouldn’t be any eastern European workers to catch and pluck them for us.’ 

She added that the ‘saddest thing’ was younger children who still believe in Father Christmas being let down.

Dr Richard Steward claimed ¿foreign citizen¿ Santa would be barred from flying his sleigh to the UK in what he said was a ¿fun¿ assembly on the last day before Christmas. Stock picture shows Santa

Dr Richard Steward claimed ‘foreign citizen’ Santa would be barred from flying his sleigh to the UK in what he said was a ‘fun’ assembly on the last day before Christmas. Stock picture shows Santa

Dr Steward's speech to pupils at The Woodroffe School (pictured), a comprehensive secondary in Lyme Regis, Dorset, was the talk of parents in the Brexit stronghold

Dr Steward’s speech to pupils at The Woodroffe School (pictured), a comprehensive secondary in Lyme Regis, Dorset, was the talk of parents in the Brexit stronghold

Matthew Puddy, a publican who attended the school himself, said: ‘He might have said he was joking but there was a subliminal message here that Brexit is a bad thing.’

Mother Sasha Flynn said: ‘My son said some of the little ones were distressed at what he was saying, basically that it was the end of Christmas.’

But others claimed most pupils had taken the assembly in the humorous spirit in which it was meant. 

A school source hailed Dr Steward as ‘a brilliant teacher’, saying: ‘He has transformed the lives of countless children. He is an Ofsted inspector, that’s how good he is. He is devoted to education.’

The headmaster said his decision to retire from the outstanding-rated school after 16 years was not connected to his Brexit assembly.

He said: ‘Of course, none of the parents were there. It was just an amusement and I find it quite disturbing really that parents will complain about that kind of thing.’

Dr Steward said his decision to quit ‘goes back a long time’.

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