Johnson tries to scratch the "Cameron veneer"
Peter Hoskin 10:45am
Alan Johnson's sure putting himself about. After interviews last week with the Sunday Times and with Fraser in our own magazine, he's now got a comment piece in today's Guardian. Aside from the exaggerations it contains about Labour's record on public service reform, it makes a rather odd argument.
Johnson's first point is that Tory health policy is beholden to provider interest and too light on reform - which is, to some extent, true. But - perhaps mindful that the same things could be said of Labour's approach on education - he then goes on to attack the Tories' transformative schools model for basically being too heavy on reform. Here's the relevant passage:
"And for all the talk of compassion, his plans for education reform look distinctly laissez faire. Take his plan to open schools and expand surplus places wherever parental demand is strongest. I'm all for parents opening and running schools, but I cannot see how an old-fashioned free market experiment, removing all strategic oversight - and cutting £4.5bn from the school building programme in the process - can help struggling schools."
While it doesn't quite add up, and while Labour are positioning themselves on the wrong side of the schools dividing line, Johnson probably achieves his two main objectives with this article. For starters, he debuts a refinement of the "PR man" attack on Cameron - the suggestion now being that, beneath the "gloss", the Tory leader dosn't know what he's doing on public services. And he also answers those Labour calls for the government to say something that isn't downturn-related.
Previous
Mike, Brighton
February 19th, 2009 11:49am Report this commentIt's all about "positioning" not action...Phil Collins is right, Labour is doomed.
Trevorsden
February 19th, 2009 11:50am Report this commentprovider interest?
So what about the large payrises his govt have given?
but on the other hand - what about their blatant plan to destroy the GP service
Wily Trout
February 19th, 2009 12:01pm Report this commentAlways the same strategy: never mind about running the country, just destroy the opposition.
geoff
February 19th, 2009 12:45pm Report this commentAs much as everyone will hate it coming from Johnson, I suspect its true that on too many public service reform arguments Cameron has for political positioning reasons gone to the left of labour. They want to scrap the polyclinics, scrap the longer GP hours, scrap the lone parents conditionality.
Gove remains a beacon of light, but everywhere else, reform has disappeared from the tory plans even if it still hangs on in the lexicon.
Nicholas
February 19th, 2009 12:59pm Report this commentJohnson's "Flashman" & Bullingdon Club attack on Cameron in the Speccie interview came across as pure class-war nonsense. Chip on the shoulder stuff which in the light of the champagne socialist behaviour of most in or supporting the New Labour party is risible. Their hypocrisy and inability to put anything into perspective are just two of many score of unattractive aspects to Labour.
A great pity that their obsession with equality and fairness does not extend to all but is partisan and focussed on perceived socialist victims. By pursuing this angle they reveal themselves to be just as narrow-minded, prejudicial and bigoted as their supposed class-war enemies.
Alex
February 19th, 2009 1:01pm Report this commentWily - you are spot on.
Can't the Government just concentrate on running the country?
All I seem to hear/read about are their increasingly desperate attacks on the Tories.
Verity
February 19th, 2009 1:14pm Report this commentJohnson is the most dangerous for us.
DevonChap
February 19th, 2009 1:15pm Report this comment"I cannot see how an old-fashioned free market experiment ... can help struggling schools".
Typical failed Labour logic. Same as saying, "I can't see how Tescos new home and hardware department helps Woolworths"
The goal is not to help schools, it is to help children get a decent education. The struggling schools can close and be replaced by new Free schools.
David Lindsay
February 19th, 2009 2:29pm Report this commentThe Tories aren't really going to do this schools thing, and everybody knows it. They know abaolutely nothing about state education and will be run rings around by the teaching unions and the LEAs, not least including Tory LEAs.
Verity
February 20th, 2009 1:31am Report this commentWhat a mess this site is!
I'm buggering off.
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