Thursday, May 31, 2007

Osborne pours more oil on flames of Grammar Wars...

As David Cameron attempts to shut down 'Grammar Wars', his own Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has tonight poured more oil on the flames...

A Press Association report, carried on the Metro website says:

Mr Osborne has risked causing further conflict within the Conservative Party by vowing to prevent new grammar schools from opening.

Just a day after Europe Minister Graham Brady quit in protest at the Tories' new policy, Mr Osborne indicated new grammars wouldn't be allowed.

Mr Osborne was talking at the Policy Exchange in London when he was challenged by an activist over the role of grammars in the education system.

'We don't believe in choosing pupils. We believe in pupils choosing schools,' he said.

'That is where the mainstream of the education debate is around the world.

'You go to the United States, you go to other countries in Europe, that's what they are talking about.

'They wouldn't allow schools to emerge and take funding that had academic selection as a criterion for entry.'

Immediately, Mr Brady, the first front bencher to quit under David Cameron, attacked the comments as 'illogical'.
I have no doubt who Lincolnshire Tories would agree with.

Clue: Not their Leader!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Though the fact that a (former) councillor of the governing party spends so much time commenting on the policy of HM Opposition should leave noone in any doubt about which way the political wind is blowing.

Makes you wonder who is actually governing the damn country. Princess Blair is poncing round Africa on his popstar farewell tour, Brown is nowhere to be seen(as usual), the mediocrities are squabbling for the crumbs at the Dour One's table, and the likes of you Phil(unencumbered by your councillor duties) are more interested in Dave. Dear oh dear, give us an election and end this farce now.

Anonymous said...

David Cameron is absolutely right over the Grammar Schools debacle.

The fact of the matter is that as times move on so should the Conservative Party.

fairdealphil said...

michael:

We had an election in UK two years ago.

Labour won. Tories lost.

For the third time.

That's why they're trying out they're fifth leader since Blair.

This one is trying to be Blair.

But the Grammar Wars fiasco is worth following closely.

It shows why Cameron is not fit to tie up Blair's boots.

Brown nowhere to be seen? Such nonsense.

I saw him last night. Don't worry, he's fine.

fairdealphil said...

Geoffrey:

Well, good to see that Cameron has at least one friend here in Lincolnshire!

Now all you need to do Geoffrey is persuade your colleagues, particularly those at County Hall responsible for education, whose reaction to Cameron was to weld themselves to the 11-plus...

then of course there's the Conservative MPs across Lincolnshire. None of them have so far supported Cameron on the Grammar wars....

fairdealphil said...

Nearly forgot Michael's comment about 'Blair poncing round Africa on his popstar farewell tour...'

It was certainly humbling to see Blair's welcome as a hero in Sierra Leone where he led the world by sending British troops to help stop the genocide of young children having arms and legs hacked off because they were on the wrong side.

Anonymous said...

Yes the election where the people told Blair would serve a full term. They were conned. An election now and you're beaten. Simple.

Check out how to use the word "their". So much for Education, Education, Education...

Brown might be doing a lot of things. Judging by the news, he is milking about 110k from people who he has appointed to public positions. VERY ethical that. But the one thing McBroon isn't doing is his job as Chancellor for which he is being paid very well. While he campaigns for an election to a party position(one in which the British people have no say) he continues to collect his salary WHILE NOT DOING THE JOB. Oh dear.

I agree about Dave. He is ridiculous, making him truly the heir to Blair and for that I am very sorry. As for his welcome in Sierra Leone. I would have said it was the troops who were the heroes. And I would suggest that these same troops, sent to die in Iraq by Blair's lies, would have a very different welcome for him if he were to go there.

fairdealphil said...

michael:

thanks for the grammar lesson i didn't need: i trust the rest of the world can forgive my slip of the key...

still, what can you expect from an 11-plus failure whose only education was at a secondary modern, long before we had 'education, education, education'

but really michael old boy, i would have thought someone like you who had the benefit of a proper education (apparently) would have learned just a little about the political system in Britain.

UK Governments are elected for five years unless the Prime Minister calls and early election.

The leader of the Governing Party becomes PM...

You were probably still in school when Thatcher promised to go on and on - but we didn't get an early election when she was given an early bath, just as we didn't when previous PMs left office mid-term.

look it up in your ladybird book of politics...

as regards the country not having a say in choosing the next PM, you may recall the Tory slogan at the last election: "Vote Blair, Get Brown".

pip-pip.

Anonymous said...

Slip of the key? By my reckoning that was two slips of the key. The chances of such a coincidence are about 1 in 676, but I won't be explaining that to you. It rarely helps to blame others for your failings.

The leader of the largest party does not necessarily become PM. It is at the discretion of HM The Queen(ELizabeth not the money grabber Cherie). I never suggested that they were constitutionally bound to call an election. Merely that they misled the people when they claimed Blair would serve a full term, when he had no such intention. But then honesty was never a Nu Labor strength. The difference with Thatcher and other such occasions is that they didn't just up and leave(like Blair) and they didn't explicitly state that they would serve a full term(like Blair). Thatcher was removed shamefully by her so-called colleagues, Wilson was in the first stages of Alzheimer's and Macmillan wrongly thought he was dying. Just because the Tories called them on this lie at election time doesn't lessen Labour's guilt now.

Opposition is too good for your lot Phil. On another issue, it does you little credit to patronise someone who so easily can argue you into the ground. It is usually better to argue with what I say rather than what you imagine(re-read it if it helps) or to call me out for factual mistakes when in fact it is you that is factually wrong. Just a tip, it'll be useful for Opposition.