ONE of the reasons for looking at history is that the past often gives perspectives on the present.

That was the case when the day's affairs in Parliament were discussed on TV recently.

The first was the inclusion in the new education reforms of the opportunities for companies to support local schools. For, until not so long ago, there was a company school in Winnington.

The story goes back to the creation of the factory colony around the chemical works at Brunner Mond in the 19th Century.

Bosses needed homes for their workers and provided them at the factory gates. They also provided the things that any village would require with their own shop, a church and a school (though they drew the line at a pub - the managers could drink to their hearts' content in the management club, but workers in pubs was not approved of in any way!).

They also built and provided their own school. From the earliest days of the company, John Brunner's daughters would provide some teaching for the children of workers in classes in the factory.

However, when the Education Acts required children to attend school the company built its own school. Brunner was a Unitarian and although his colleague Ludwig Mond was Jewish by birth, he was atheist by nature. Neither wanted their workers' children educated within the Church of England.

So at Winnington, Brunner set up a company school to teach the children of his own workers. But he ensured that, along with a general education, the pupils were prepared to be useful workers in the factory, where they were expected to follow their parents into work.

The school was controlled by the company until the education reforms after the Second World War when the secondary modern and grammar schools were set up and Winnington became a normal primary school, but still with financial help from the company and involvement of the ICI management in the appointment of staff and dayto-day running of the school.

It was only when Winnington Park Primary School was opened that the last school in the country left in company control ended.

The other parliamentary matter with a local link is the accusation that the Labour Party may have given a peerage in return for a loan.

In Victorian times gifts of money to political parties was sure to get you a title - as long as you gave enough.

Both Robert Verdin, who owned the salt works in Northwich and Winsford, and John Brunner served in Parliament.

If you have a title higher than that of Sir you are not allowed to have a seat in the House of Commons.

Brunner refused to take the title of Baron that was offered to him time and time again because of his work for and donations to the Liberal Party. However, eventually he accepted the equivalent of a hereditary knighthood and became a baronet, so he could stay in the Commons.

At about the same time a scandal occurred in Parliament. Lloyd George had managed to get his 'People's Budget' through the Commons. This introduced the idea of old age pensions and unemployment benefit. Lloyd George threatened the Tories in the Lords that if they threw out the budget he would appoint Liberals to the Lords until there were enough of them to outvote the Tories! The incident was the inspiration for Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe and almost saw Brunner come out of retirement to become one of the new Liberal lords.

It seems a strange paradox that the Labour Party, which came to power vowing to get rid of the House of Lords, is now accused of the same sort of pay-for-peerage tactics that caused a scandal 100 years ago!