In this slightly amended version of the talk with which the author opened the "Caught in the Act" Conference on 19 November 2011, he talks about fighting the most vicious right-wing government that England has known since the end of the Second World War--and one that is determined to destroy what's left of "a national system of education, locally administered". The secondary schooling system in England today is far more divided and chaotic than was the case at any time in the 1950s or 1960s. After the passing of the School Standards and Framework Act of 1998, the first major Education Act of Tony Blair's New Labour Government, there was already a hierarchy of at least 14 types of secondary school, each with its own legal status and unique admissions procedures. And then, instead of trying to clear up the mess, Education Secretary David Blunkett simply made matters worse by launching (City) Academies in March 2010. The author tells his audience not to despair. Hegemonic projects are not assured of longevity, and this is particularly true of those that lack a firm foundation. It simply won't work if all schools are persuaded or coerced into becoming government schools, wholly dependent for their annual funding on a contract between Michael Gove and their governing bodies. The Gove "reforms" must eventually collapse under the weight of their own contradictions. Without a local democratic input, there is no accountable state system, and sooner or later, things will start to go wrong. The author emphasizes the need to work hard to convince parents, governors and teachers that the state education system is worth saving.