It doesn’t matter who wins the Labour leadership contest, he or she is sailing the party to the left. There’s been a lot of chatter about Ed Miliband being more of a lefty than his brother David and Ed Balls’ retrenchment as he tries to distinguish himself from Blair, Brown et al. But whoever is [...]
the inevitable future for the next labour leader
September 1st, 2010
what next for ofsted?
August 24th, 2010The government is giving a very clear direction apropos regulation and inspection. The Audit Commission is to be abolished; the Standards Board for England has gone. With ‘outstanding’ schools being promised freedom from Ofsted, the remaining question marks must surely be hanging over its future role. Council officers are seeking to cut costs and keep [...]
rampant and disgusting hypocrisy
August 20th, 2010I have been disgusted to read today about American hypocrisy over the BP/Bhopal crises. Spitting outrage for American fishermen; aloof disdain for Indian families scarred for life. India is an important economic force in the world and has been seeking US backing for access to World Bank funds. In parallel, Indian families scarred by a [...]
easily replaced…
August 17th, 2010The Audit Commission will be easily replaced. I admit that my first reaction was to gasp in disbelief at Pickles’ self-assurance … but after some reflection, I’m stunned at how long it has taken to realise that this is a sensible idea. Why must the public sector pay for an audit function when the private [...]
Revisiting a failed policy
August 10th, 2010The Fed is clearly moving away from it’s monetary tightening policy whilst the ink is still wet back towards a looser stance, by signalling a willingness to maintain its $2300bn balance sheet with the potential for growth. This is a bad sign. This signals real concern from US policymakers over the state of the US [...]
transparency with cuts
August 2nd, 2010Bucks CC is holding an emergency full council on Thursday to debate the cuts that are having to be imposed in order to balance the budget this year. This is so that all members get the opportunity to debate the cuts which are proposed to manage in-year service pressures as a result of the reduction [...]
one radical government
August 1st, 2010The Conservatives are seeking to transform the way public services are run, through the radical transformation of the mechanism which drives them. Rather than centrally driven targets and funding allocations, Gove wants the market to drive school reforms; rather than all-powerful Primary Care and Acute Trusts, Lansley wants cash to follow patients with GPs driving [...]
can councils lead with no levers?
July 28th, 2010The government want councils to be strategic commissioners — not service providers. This is clear from the direction of travel in social care, education, youth … even transport. Can we do it without the necessary levers though? I don’t disagree with the philosophy. It allows for the market dynamic to enter many areas which have [...]
home to school transport
July 13th, 2010A consultation is being run by Buckinghamshire County Council which may affect the denominational-specific criteria for home to school transport eligibility. To see the consultation, please visit here.
diary of a civil servant
July 11th, 2010I am fascinated by the diary of a civil servant which the guardian has been publishing. The author is, as you would imagine, rather scathing about the new government. Ministers are clueless, policies are damaging and the future is bleak. Whilst I don’t expect the Guardian to be publishing plaudits for the coalition government I [...]