Appalled by the stream of bad news (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Appalled by the stream of bad news
1:36pm Tuesday 13th July 2010 in News
This is the last time I will be writing this column, which I’ve been doing for more than six years.
I’ve enjoyed the weekly chore, and I’ve enjoyed people’s responses – public and private – even more.
But this seems a good moment to stop.
Politics is changing and I fear I’ll be spending a lot more of my time fighting battles within the Liberal Democrats and within the coalition.
I am frankly appalled by the stream of bad news that is coming out of the Government.
If I continue to write these columns they will inevitably consist of weekly attacks on my own party which I’d rather not do.
I was going to write a piece today about the way that the next wave of Building Schools for the Future projects in this area have been ‘stopped’.
It seems to me that the announcement by the Education Secretary Michael Gove was an example of political stupidity – quite apart from his incompetence in getting many of them wrong.
I agree that BSF has been a top-heavy, over bureaucratic, and extremely expensive way of building new schools and improving others. It’s a typical New Labour way of doing things.
There was much to be said for slowing down the whole project, dismantling the quangos, passing responsibility to local authorities and taking a careful look at many of the schemes.
But throwing these schools into a void like this is just wrong.
I also want to know why the Liberal Democrats are going along with the ridiculous proposals for ‘free schools’ and for existing schools to convert to academies at the expense of the rest – another madcap Gove scheme.
Or why we are being asked to back Andrew Lansley’s plan to break up the NHS by handing control to GPs – just one of the many groups that make up the diverse and complex service – and inevitably to the private companies that they will employ.
Or why the cuts in money for councils that have already been announced appearto be targeted at the areas most in need such as Pennine Lancashire?
Or the latest threats to local bus services?
I have said enough.
Thanks to everyone who has read my columns over the years.
Meanwhile it seems there is a lot of work to be done elsewhere.
Wish me luck!
Comments(4)
Nostradamous
says...
4:23pm Tue 13 Jul 10
Kevin, Colne
says...
4:45pm Sat 24 Jul 10
Many thanks for your contributions to the LT over the years. I will miss your column.
I have always thought that writing a column for a newspaper must be a hard thing to do: one has to try and say something intelligent, sensible or interesting in a way that is highly engaging. That's a tall order.
I have to say that we do seem to have gone from an era of 'spending without thought' to 'cutting with little thought'. For the Conservatives this is a dream come true but for the Lib-Dems I fear that they are in a very difficult position indeed.
I detect that David Cameron has adopted the 'big bang' strategy and recognizes that there is a window of opportunity upon taking office for radical actions but that this window soon closes. The trick is not to have your hand on the window ledge when it slams shut.
It seems to me that the basic problem we have is that politicians of all parties have been happy to construct a multitude of pay-as-you-go schemes with little thought about what might happen when the day dawns and you find that you have more 'goers' than 'payers'. That day has now dawned.
One way or another there are going to be fewer 'goers' and those that remain a 'goer' won't be 'going' in the way they anticipated. The 'payers', meanwhile, will have to pay more.
I do wish you luck but don't take it all as I fear that the citizenry at large are going to need some too.
With every good wish
Kevin
Nostradamous
says...
7:43pm Wed 28 Jul 10
Adding to all the above they will get a better voting system a fairer voting system that surely gives them a much betterhance at future elections.
OK what was the alternative,we dont form a coalition what happens then well the Tories form a very weak government and we are back at the poles within a year,what would that gain the Liberal party,a big fat NOTHING at all,this way they get something from the situation and i blieve that in the interests of thecountry and so do many more as well tha this coalition is exactly what is needed right now and hopefully for at least three years,we had a terrible lot of politions that surely could not have been allowed to continue,lies upon lies spewed from thermouths without the slightest touch of conscience,it became the norm,even Mandy confirms that in his book,what a joke they were and are.
So to this man who you praise and thank i say it is time party politics disappeared for a while and these people put the country first,and yes i am very annoyed at this man.
Gaius Grossus says...
3:23pm Tue 13 Jul 10