The two types of Tory modernisation — and which one's on the rise
James Forsyth 4:14pm
There have always been two types of Tory modernisers. Both wanted to talk about issues
that the party had neglected — public services, the environment and the like. But the soft modernisers were more prepared to compromise ideologically, to go with the flow of the age. The hard
modernisers’ interest, by contrast, was in applying Tory thinking to these areas.
Michael Gove’s education reforms are, perhaps, the best example of hard modernisation in action. As Charles Moore puts it in the Telegraph today, ‘Mr Gove offers an attractive combination — complete loyalty to the Cameron modernisation, but a Thatcher-era conviction politics as well’.
Encouragingly, the balance within the Tory party is moving distinctly in favour of hard — rather than soft — modernisation. If you look at the Free Enterprise Group, perhaps the most influential group of Tory MPs in ideological as opposed to campaigning terms, you see them trying to do what Gove is doing in a whole host of other areas. Liz Truss’s work on the supply side of childcare is a particularly good example of this. It is this approach which offers the best chance of making the country more competitive in the modern economy and a better place to live, and of building a new Tory majority.
Previous
Paul Danon
February 25th, 2012 4:48pm Report this commentIf the Tories win outright in 2015, they can next educate the public into accepting the profit-motive in education and health, as well as a move from state- to private funding of those activities.
William Blakes Ghost
February 25th, 2012 6:51pm Report this commentIt is in Society and Government(constitution, sovereignty, nationality, citizenship and in criminal justice) they need to stop Cameron's weak and cowardly pandering to the failed corrupt increasingly carcenogenic liberal consensus.
Without going hard on such issues any advances elsewhere (in education, in welfare, indeed in health) will be quickly reversed and the country will continue on its steep decline into a third rate oligarchy.
paulg
February 25th, 2012 6:51pm Report this commentyes, you are right James, and anyone who **** it up will pay the price.
The coalition will go on until we get these gains, which is 2015.
Anyone who put their narrow interest ahead of the children of this nation, or the nations interest, will absolutely know what true conservatives think of that.
Frank P
February 26th, 2012 2:09am Report this commentWhat's 'on the rise', it would appear from The way things are emerging from the woodwork, are the odds that Julia Middleton will be arranging the affairs of the country, if not indeed the whole freakin' world, regardless of which front party or front coalition of parties 'wins' the next general election. The 'post democratic' era has now arrived (if anybody accepts that there ever was a 'democratic' era, that is). When are one of you hacks going to write about Common Purpose? Why the fuck are great wodges of public money being channelled to this potty bird to brainwash public servants from all the institutions of local and central government about how to 'escape from their silos' and 'extend beyond the bounds of their authority'? It is obvious that a network of Kool Aid drinkers already exists and it continues apace. When is somebody going to start bombarding government agencies, local authorities and Police constabularies, with requests under the FOI to disclose their budgets for Common Purpose? It seems to me that this insidious network, is either the latest morph of Gramsci's Long March, or an even worse scam than the A4e affair.
For those who are unfamiliar with the work on CP by Brian Gerrish, here is a link that will whet your appetites:
*ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVbDdWKyYNc
Kevin
February 26th, 2012 8:32am Report this commentBritain will not be a better place to live if getting a job or running a business in the hypothetical new wunder economy depends on submitting one's intellect and conscience to the Party's false doctrine on human relations and the family - the very doctrine that the Conservatives sought to resist with the passing of Section 28.
Geoffrey Dron
February 26th, 2012 10:21am Report this commentI support Gove's reforms, but detail matters. The academies programme in Herts., has led to the closure of the schools library service as money has been moved away from the local authority. Gove has a department which is staffed by incompetents and opponents; he has to be vigilant to ensure that unintended consequences like this don't come about.
Nicholas
February 26th, 2012 12:35pm Report this commentI second Frank's challenge. Common Purpose and its shadowy influence on public administrators, quangocrats, politicians and the media is yet another "elephant in the room" for the British public to endure. Let's see some of the same huff and puff indignation that has been expended on Murdoch and the NOTW affair now directed towards the activities of this lot, especially as a couple of the unaccountable but very influential graduates are close to the outcome of the Levison inquiry.
Ed Lebanon
February 26th, 2012 4:18pm Report this comment"depends on submitting one's intellect and conscience to the Party's false doctrine on human relations and the family - the very doctrine that the Conservatives sought to resist with the passing of Section 28"
There, there, Major, the nurse will be along soon.
Guru McKenzie
February 27th, 2012 10:39am Report this commentGove's heart may be in the right place and of course his continuation of Blair's Education agenda is no bad thing, bu the notion that this will turn round the nation's fortunes is laughable
we are a post industrial, post imperial power in long term (slow) decline
Good old Gove and Truss might make that decline seem more palatable but they can't turn the tide of history
Would the last one out etc
Back to top