The draft Queen's Speech - yeah but no but
So we've had Gordon's big idea(s) and there wont be another one before a general election.
Today's announcements will form the basis of the Queen's Speech (this November) for the Parliament which lasts a year. The Parliament after that (beginning November 2009) will be cut short by an election. So this is it.
Some Blairite reforms. Some big ideas. But quite a lot of 'buts'.
On housing, the government is proposing to buy up unsold houses and rent them out to less well off tenants. But they are only stumping up £200 million, which will only buy a few thousand houses.
On the police, Brown promised "directly elected representatives to give local people more control over priorities". But this is not about scrapping police authorities or putting elected representatives in charge. Instead there might be one or two people elected on to these boards.
On hospitals, Brown is saying that they may be paid money according to "patient satisfaction". This is potentially bold, but they haven't worked out a mechanism or what proportion of the money will depend on making "customers" happy.
On schools, a "legal requirement" for local authorities to "deal" with schools where less than 70 per cent of pupils get 5 A-Cs at GCSE by 2011.
On immigration, the requirement that newcomers will be required to pay into a migration impact fund to help local communities has already been announced.
On agency workers, action is again promised as early as next week, but nothing announced today.
how do you give customer satisfaction feedback if you're dead from an MRSA infection...?
Oh I get you - that's the idea?!
Posted by: James Davenport | 14 May 2008 20:47:04
A correction- on education, you mean schools where fewer (not less by the way) than 30% of pupils get 5 A*-C, including English and maths.
Posted by: Sam | 15 May 2008 10:03:57