David Cameron's Immodest Belief in Government

Thursday, 19th November 2009

David Cameron's response to the Queen's Speech was, of course, dictated by both convention and political nit-picking. Nonetheless, I agree with Sunder Katwala that it's rum to see a Conservative leader complaining that the government isn't proposing enough legislation. A useful reminder that whatever else they may be, Dave's Conservatives do not take an especially modest or reatrained view of government. On the contrary: if there is a problem there must be a bill and damn the consequences.

So Cameron, correctly, identified Labour's approach as believing that "The answer to every problem is more big government and spending" at the same time as he demanded that the government do more, not less on a range of issues. Now, sure, this is rhetorical prancing and all the rest of it since there isn't time for much new legislation, mercifully, to be passed before this parliament is put out of its misery. But still...

It was especially amusing to see Cameron criticise the absence of (yet another) NHS bill. Amusing because, of course, Conservative health policy is to hand control of the NHS over to the BMA and assorted other producer interests and hope that no-one will notice the fundamental philosophical contradiction betweent the Tories plans for schools and their health policy (if it can be so dignified). In its way, then, these contrasting approaches to fundamental services will provide a useful public policy experiment. A shame, perhaps, that the unreformed NHS act as a kind of control group but there you have it. You can't have everything even though Mr Cameron seems to think more government is actually the answer. And if he doesn't believe this is the case, then perhaps he should cease pretending that it is.

Filed under: Cameron (227 more articles) , Education (348 more articles) , Government (233 more articles) , Labour (2135 more articles) , NHS (136 more articles) , Tories (273 more articles)

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Rhoda Klapp

November 19th, 2009 1:55pm Report this comment

You'd think he could make a very long list of laws which should be repealed. Many here have often invited him to do so, and I for one can't see a downside. If he's going to be a kneejerk repent-at-leisure lawmaker he is no good to me.

So, there are two schools about Cameron, some don't trust him, some say it will be OK once he is in power. I have to say I fall into the former group, but i'd like to know what he, and his supporters here, have to say. Why are Tory stated policies just so bloody limp? Why does he feel it is necessary to deceive the electorate? Now the last Queen's speech has passed, can't he tell us what is going to be in his manifesto?

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