Very discreetly, Cameron is writing his first Queen’s Speech

Eric Hester

The Conservatives risk making a mistake with education and yet it is the easiest one to get right. There is nothing wrong per se in the idea of allowing the setting up of more schools but it will take years before it has any real effect. Let us start with sile facts: Britain has some of the best schools in the world, the independent schools, and some of the worst, the state schools. So why not turn all the state schools into independent schools? It is easy. All the new Education Secretary has to say is that from tomorrow all the rules and regulations currently imposed on schools will still exists but will be only voluntary not compulsory. Schools can make decisions on the basis of whether they are best for educating their pupils (which is what indpendent schools do) rather than pleasing politicians, which is what state schools do. Then - and MOST important - the Education Secretay says that admissions will also be freed. Schools will decide their own admissions, as independent schools do, and parents will be able to apply to any school that they think will give their children a good education, which is what independent school parents do. The state will pay the school fees up to a limit that is decided. This is the magic wand that will transform education for all children overnight. More than that, there is another bonus for the Conservatives. Far from costing more, this will cost less since schools run as independent schools will not need thousands of non-playing bureaucrats; the independent schools do quite well without them.

Dave B

"His first Education Act, for example, will be sent straight to Strasbourg as the manifesto pledge to scrap independent tribunals for school expulsions clearly contradicts the right to a fair trial enshrined in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights."

Are you sure about that? I find it hard to believe anyone is going to try to apply the ECHR to school discipline.

Dave B

"His first Education Act, for example, will be sent straight to Strasbourg as the manifesto pledge to scrap independent tribunals for school expulsions clearly contradicts the right to a fair trial enshrined in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights."

Are you sure about that? I find it hard to believe anyone is going to try to apply the ECHR to school discipline.

Philip Porter

"Then, Europe. Already some senior shadow Cabinet members are expressing hopes that the Lisbon Treaty argument will remain open long enough for a Conservative government to be elected and renegotiate Britain’s entire membership. Mr Cameron’s wish is for Europe just to go away — but it will not be granted. His first Education Act, for example, will be sent straight to Strasbourg as the manifesto pledge to scrap independent tribunals for school expulsions clearly contradicts the right to a fair trial enshrined in Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights."

--> Strasbourg ???

The ECHR in Strasbourg is nothing to do with the EU ! The Strasbourg court is an institution of the Council of Europe (which includes Russia and many other non-EU countries).

The EU's court is the European Court of Justice - which is Luxembourg.

I do not want to be rude but, quite honestly, one would expect the Spectator's political correspondent to know better ...

When it comes to Europe, I am not sure you really know what you are talking about.

T Reason

You really don't get David Davis do you?

Hysteria

"It would take at least a year to draw up the contracts, and six months to award them"

Perhaps - but no need to delay kicking off the contract preparation - that can start at any time - with the bid package ready to go out the door on D+1

David Lindsay

Pure wishful thinking.

How long has the right-wing press been banging on about Eurosceptical, or tough on crime, or committed to traditional family values, the Tories are really?

For that, as for this, there exists absolutely no evidence whatever, but rather, overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Fraser Nelson

Philip, where do you think I am confused? The issue of "Europe" contains both EU membership and ECHR. And I am fully aware of which courts do what, where. Dave B, ECHR has been used to release Abu Qatada. Of course it will be used by parents whose kids were expelled without an independent tribunal.

TomTom

"The aim is to launch a new breed of boutique state schools competing for pupils"

Disaster - this is why universities are being debased.

Pupils must compete for places. It is pupils who must perform and stop being quite so lethargic and demotivated - it is individual effort not glossy marketing brochures from universities.

We do not want the Us route of investing in sports facilities and grade inflation to woo bums on seats to cover costs

CCTV

"Of course it will be used by parents whose kids were expelled without an independent tribunal."

Is that why the Tories introduced the appeals procedure ?

It is not even the ECHR - English Judges could use Common Law to create exactly the same situation

Water

I'm glad that he's not getting complacent.

Tapestry

Who cares which european body is the source of power in Britain. The point is that power must be returned to parliament. The question is - how will Cameron tackle the issue.

I've made my suggestions today on www.the-tap.blogspot.com, titled 'How Will Britain Leave The EU?'

Agincourt

Personally, I do not believe that schools & welfare are the absolute No.1 priority at present. Certainly they need to be dealt with both effectively & soon, but the real issue is - Britain regaining its confidence in itself!

Consequently, I believe that a new Tory government should let the British people be proud of Britain again - something that is certainly not possible under Brown's disorderly rabble!

To improve national self-confidence, Cameron, or whoever the Tories' new PM is, should take the following two approaches:

1. Legislate that everything major to do with the EU should be endorsed by referendums - especially when, like Ireland's constitution requires, whenever any new powers are transferred to Brussels. The new Tory government should also call an early consultative referendum on the EU in which the new Tory government would ask the electorate what kind of approach they want the government to follow towards the EU. Ie one which asks questions to identify which of the following 3 approaches the British people want:
A). a closely integrationalist approach to the EU (though in practice I suspect that would not get many votes),
B). a free trade approach which clearly avoids most political integration, or
C). withdrawal to the political "edge-of-Europe" EEA (European Economic Association), whose main members are Norway & Iceland (& which also has a special relationship with Switzerland).

Following this consultative referendum, the new Tory government would declare that it would base its future approaches towards the EU on the voting spread between these 3 choices etc. I believe that the new Tory PM should also offer repeats of this poll every, eg, 10 years - or alternatively within every 3 Parliaments' lifetimes etc.

The advantage of this approach would be that it would clearly have democratic legitimacy, which was so clearly absent in the recent, wholy disgraceful, Lisbon Treaty process. It would also call the Lib-Dems' EU-related bluff, bearing in mind their unethical Parliamentary behaviour during the recent Lisbon Treaty votes in both the Commons & the Lords.

2. The new Tory government will also need to make up for Labour's appalling neglect of our Armed Forces, especially the inadequate equipment supplied to our soldiers & airmen currently serving in Iraq & Afghanistan. Although MRAP (ie mine resistant & ambush protected) vehicles are now at last appearing in Iraq in sufficient quantity & quality, there are still far too few of them in Afghanistan where the fighting is now very hard indeed. There is also a huge need there for many more helicopters that are capable of meeting Afghanistan's very challenging "hot-&-high" conditions, as well as sufficient numbers of armed UAVS (unmanned aerial vehicles) & other relevant reconnaisance aircraft & assets etc. And of course, more people on the ground, which means, despite the expense, more troops generally. Britain currently has slightly under 100,000 ground troops, which is obviously not nearly enough for our normal requirements, let alone when these now include counter-insurgency work in Iraq & Afganistan - & wherever next, who knows?

If a new Tory government can work in this way to help people feel proud of their once-&-still-to-be-great country, public support will be both plentiful & long-term! Britain needs a bit of patriotism again, & if the Tories follow policies like these, the people will gladly back them - again, & again, & again! Absolutely certainly they will!

Kiffa

Eric Hester, if it were that easy the government - any government - would do it, surely. How would the teacher's unions and the LEAs react to your proposals? After all, why did Tony Blair go to such exensive lengths to create new schools (academies) behind the backs of the LEAs?
As a school governor, I can assure you you are right: nothing strangles state schools more than centralised political control, and nothing is needed more than the independence of the head and governors from the LEAs - especially in admissions. Nothing! I will vote for ANY politician who has the courage to take them on.

Verity

Dave B "I find it hard to believe anyone is going to try to apply the ECHR to school discipline."

I find it hard to believe that anyone would apply the ECHR to foreign convicted terrorists, rapists and murderers. But they do, as a matter of course and a punch in the face to the British who own this country.

Fraser says Cameron is "very discreetly" writing his firs Queen's speech."

How would he do it indiscreetly? Set up a desk in Piccadilly Circus?

Chingford Man

Good picture of Windmill Dave on the front cover. Someone please tell the Emperor that he has no clothes.

kipper

Rats with wings, should be painted red.

colin

David MUST make a BIG deal out of dumping multiculturalism in favour of integration...The voters will MOB him with love!

Ray

Prime Minister Cameron must face down the EU steamroller and within weeks of taking office declare that UK law will henceforth take precedence over Brussels law - irrespective of how many feathers it ruffles.

Otherwise, the EU will end up emasculating and destroying his government as surely as it did those of his two Conservative predecessors.

W H Thomas

What I am looking for - apparently without any real hope - is a list of the repressive and/or offensive bits of Labour legislation which are to be repealed within the first week of the new Conservative Government. ID cards; HIPs; the Hunting Act; IHT; Stamp Duty under £½ million; excessive airport security; unnecessary "health and safety" rules; CRB checks other than on teachers.... to name but a few. Come on Mr Cameron, give us your word.