The Future?

Barack Obama and David Cameron share political dreams with confidence and the audacity of hope. Perhaps the next time they meet, both will be elected leaders.

A Brief History of Childhood Behaviour

As childhood knife crime is dominating the headlines, perhaps it's worthwhile remembering the words of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He believed infants were born infinitely malleable with the potential for moral goodness that experience of life corrupted. "Everything is good" he wrote in 1762 "that leaves the Creator's hands: everything degenerates in the hands of man."

Since the end of the eighteenth century, the concept of childhood as a time of extreme impressionability, and of crucial significance for personality development, has been a powerful force politically and socially. Descriptions by Charles Dickens of the terrible living conditions of the poor were meant to move politicians, and they did. It was known then that only social reform and active measures could solve the problem.

Knife Crime in A&E

This picture was taken during the 'doctors march', March 2007. It illustrated how the then health secretary Patricia Hewitt treated junior doctors over Modernising Medical Careers (MMC).

In 20o8 may I remind the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith that A&E is for an accident and/or an emergency. It is not, and never will be, part of the criminal justice system.

The Quango Theme

Today Kathy Gyngell discusses quangos, see here.

Quangos Cost More Than Our Armed Forces.

Alan Duncan today announced that Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), are evolving into an executive arm of government instead of being “a business-led force for good”. He fears RDAs have become “increasingly politicised” and that the government’s plans to give them strategic planning powers is “a huge mistake...ingraining a tier of regional government with no mandate, no legitimacy and no accountability”.

To me RDAs sound like yet another unaccountable, unelected, undemogratic quango. Perhaps it's worth remembering that the Labour government spend more on quangos, than on our own armed forces.

Gordon Brown's NHS

Gordon Brown celebrates 60 years of the NHS.
Check out this clip - a must see episode of Yes Minister with a hospital full of administration but no patients. Is this an example of life imitating art?

Why Lawyers Should Surf

The book 'Why Laywers Should Surf' was reviewed this week in surfing magazine Drift.

NHS - Happy 60th

Yesterday I was at Guy's hospital, celebrating 60 years of the NHS. David Cameron spoke about how the Conservatives were going to reduce targets and focus on outcomes. He also gave a personal account of how his son Ivan has frequently used the NHS and how grateful he was to the hard working health professionals.

A Lost Labour Generation?

Today I started my day by buying breakfast and a latte in local coffee shop. A pleasant young lad served me and said “£6.50 please”. I handed over £10 and then gave him another 50p. The extra change made him look nervous, and he called over to the girl making the drinks. He said, “So, how much change do I give?” The reply “£4” was spoken in a Polish accent. Has anyone else experienced a similar situation recently?

This simple but telling interaction is on the same day as Sir Peter Williams, (chair of the ‘Government’s Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education’) expressed concerns over how poorly equipped primary schools are to teach maths. He raised concerns that a quarter of eleven year olds are failing to meet the expected standards of numeracy. He highlighted the importance of combating the “can’t do” attitude to mathematics that appeared to be unique to Britain.

I concluded this morning that Poland must have a “can do” mathematics attitude and wondered if we need to open the doors of his proposed ‘summer mathematics courses’ to all the children who were educated during the last ten years of Labour administration. Their slogan ‘education, education, education’ seems to be over ten years behind schedule.

Polyclinics annd Health Localism

Today I wrote a piece about Polyclinics over at Conservative Home.