Don't vote, John. Mistrust them all and have only really ever had time for Independent MP's -and most of those are barmy.
Having said all that, if Ms.Nilgun actually is seen to do something concrete over this issue I'd think again (my last vote helped bring Blair into power and I've never fully got over that).
"Regarding computers, etc, most parents want to do the best for their children and like me you obviously like providing "educational" things for yours. I don't see that as in any way conflicting with a belief in state education, do you? "
I believe in state education - I had a damn good state education myself. But that was 50 years ago. What you seem to be suggesting is lowest common denominator and - sorry - that wasn't good enough for my kids so I chose to sacrifice my personal standard of living to give them a better education - while paying the same taxes as everybody else towards the state system.
But you are saying that fee-paying schools should be abolished. When the state system provides an education that is of the same quality as the private schools no parent would dream of spending additional money on school fees and those schools would disappear of their own accord.
The problem is that state schools will never reach the same standard of private schools until everyone sends their children to state schools. There are 2 problems with the current situation - the private schools (and various state funded selective and 'faith' schools) mean that the ordinary state schools are often left without a good balance of commited/pushy families (they are not comprehensives), and those with power have no real committment to improving all schools.