Grayling mounts a robust defence
James Forsyth 4:56pm
The Work Experience scheme is a sensible policy innovation. Giving the unemployed
structure to their days, the chance to earn some experience and learn some skills is surely preferable to doing nothing for them beyond bunging them some money every week. Indeed, I would say that
it was by far the more compassionate policy.
Chris Grayling’s robust response to Polly Toynbee’s criticisms is a welcome example of the coalition taking on its critics. Grayling, who had a torrid election campaign, has recovered his footing at DWP and the Work Programme he is running is potentially transformative. It is based on the idea that the companies and voluntary organisations involved are paid by results. In other words, how much they are paid depends on how many people they move from welfare into work and for how long.
Grayling’s stock is on the rise. If Cameron wishes to promote a right-winger to the Cabinet in his post-Olympics reshuffle who has strong managerial skills, he will be a very strong candidate. Indeed, if he can make payment-by-results work then he’ll have set in place something that could vastly improve the quality of public services in this country.
Previous
toco
February 23rd, 2012 5:29pm Report this commentIf Polly Toynbee is critical of something you are doing you can rest assured you are on the right track.She is an embittered woman who is well beyond her sell-by date.
GDT
February 23rd, 2012 5:36pm Report this commentI wonder if Polly Toynbee's criticisms were made from her Tuscan Villa?
Private Schultz
February 23rd, 2012 5:40pm Report this commentGDT - which one?
Noa.
February 23rd, 2012 5:42pm Report this commentA good response to the 'bee from Chris Grayling.
It's written for the benefit of an open minded general public of course, he won't be expecting any objective discourse with the sun dried Tuscan trotskyite.
Trapped
February 23rd, 2012 6:34pm Report this commentI find it interesting that the 'bee was more supportive of Heseltine's plans, and explains -why- she is. If the jobs exist, then the private sector should be *hiring* workers, not taking on work experience peeps and churning them.
Simon HB
February 23rd, 2012 6:37pm Report this commentThe problem, James, is that it's a sensible policy if you start from the assumption that unemployed people need structure to their day and are otherwise just laying about watching Homes Under The Hammer. If you actually stop thinking of the unemployed as a blob of amporhous blobs, it suddenly looks like an - at best - patronising piece of matronism,
Dimoto
February 23rd, 2012 11:01pm Report this commentAll good stuff, but why would a cabinet minister feel the need to rebut some (same old) tosh from a piddling nonentity like Toynbee ?
Not even Red's Labour party takes her seriously.
Hexhamgeezer
February 23rd, 2012 11:36pm Report this commentMaybe they should rename these placements Internships. Maybe that'll shut snobs like Toybee and Kirsty Squark up.
Ostrich (occasionally)
February 23rd, 2012 11:39pm Report this commentThe voters of Lewisham East were sensible enough to reject her. So what's the Beeb's problem?
Hermes
February 24th, 2012 3:10am Report this commentThe collected Mekons on this site might want to google- Skills Funding Agency head resignation and A4E- there is massive fraud on Grayling's flag ship
Framer
February 24th, 2012 9:40am Report this commentGrayling was most effective on this morning's Today against a sneering Evan Davis. For some reason he and a few other Tories are fighting back against Beeboid socialists - presumably against Downing Street advice. Grayling actually said the Socialist Workers Party (Trotskyists of the 4th International) are running the current anti-Tesco slave labour controversy.
Evan Davis thinks young men should not be required to do boring jobs or work nightshifts. Presumably these are for invisible immigrants in his world.
Julian (UK)
February 24th, 2012 1:37pm Report this commentI'm surprised at how much support there is for Chris Grayling. Whenever he's in a corner he overeacts terribly - remember comparing Moss Side to the Wire?
Back to top