There is no sense of shame amongst these squablling Cabinet Minsiters. Peter Hain, ten years into a Labour government, finds inequalities offensive and urges a campaign to tackle them.

Could it be that the government’s Tax Credit and benefit system has misfired? Has he at last noticed that 5.3 million are still on benefits without a job, yet are of working age? Has he at last realised that Labour’s educational reforms have left many children stranded in Inner City comprehensives with no hope of good A levels or a University place. Has he understood that huge sums of money have been poured into public services to deal with just these issues, but it has failed to make a positive difference?

Labour’s mantra throughout has been extra money and reform, but the reform has either not taken place or has been of the wrong kind. Shuffling the quangos and boosting the advice, guidance and controls from the centre was never going to transform poor performing schools or deliver good healthcare to all, however much money went in. Most hospitals and comprehensives retain their local monopolies and are punch drunk from the administrative changes and directions from above.We need reform which delivers power to people running schools and hospitals on the ground, and delivers choice to students, parents and patients so they will go to the institutions which are doing well.

We are made to spend more on public services through tax than we do on our home or any major item in our budgets. Isn’t it time we had some choice for all this money, as we do for the income they leave us after all the tax is paid?

What concrete proposals is Mr Hain going to come up with at this late stage for this government, to lift the performance of inner city schools? What can he do about mass unemployment for the 5.3 million? Has he yet grasped that directing and cotnrolling more from the centre impedes progress rather than stimulates it?

Trackback URI | Comments RSS