Barristers are always schooled never to ask a court witness a question unless they know what the answer will be.

The parallel advice for politicians might be: never introduce a motion unless you know it will have the majority’s support.

It’s a lesson that Cllr Matthew Boughton, the Conservative member for Fant Ward, learnt at this month’s Maidstone Borough Council meeting.

Cllr Boughton, 23, who was only elected to the council last September, lodged a motion that: “In view of the Government’s recent announcement to allow grammar schools to expand, this council would like to express its support for Maidstone’s four grammar schools, and all other secondary schools in the borough.

“This council calls on all national parties to support this move, which enables children from deprived areas of the borough the best possible opportunity to achieve a good education.”

But Cllr Martin Cox, with his five years’ experience as the Liberal Democrat member for East Ward, quickly proposed an amendment.

While not opposing grammar schools per se, he said the current system was unfair to children from poorer backgrounds whose parents could not afford the travel costs of sending them to a grammar, or paying for the uniform, with the result they had no option but to attend the local high school even if they could pass the Kent Test.

His amendment deleted the second line of Cllr Boughton’s motion and substituted it with: “The council calls upon Government to ensure that all schools give all children the best possible chance to achieve a good education by providing a fair-funding formula that is equitable between all schools, that the selection criteria are transparently clear and fair and that other bars to children accepting a school place, such as the cost of travel, are removed.”

He was supported by Cllr Fran Wilson (Lib Dem), the leader of the council, and by Cllr Paul Harper (Lab) who said there was a lack of statistical evidence to say that grammar schools increased social mobility.

Cllr Eddie Powell, the Ukip group leader, praised Cllr Boughton for voicing Ukip policy and invited him to join the party, but he also questioned why the borough council was debating schools policy at all, since that was the responsibility of Kent County Council.

Cllr Keith Adkinson (Lab) warned that if the Lib Dem’s amendment failed, his party had their own amendment to table, but it was unnecessary, Cllr Cox’s amendment was accepted by a majority vote, at which point a disgruntled Cllr Boughton asked to withdraw his motion.

The borough’s solicitor advised that under the council’s constitution he was not able to do that without the consent of the chamber, and when Cllr Boughton called for a vote on it, he was defeated.

Cllr Boughton and his supporters found themselves unable to vote against Cllr Cox’s amended wording, and so - after 50 minutes of debate - ended up having to abstain while the amended motion was passed by 28 votes in favour, with none against.