I read George Osborne's speech to Policy Exchange earlier. It started with a contrast between the Conservative leadership contest of two years ago against the non-contest for Labour now.
The result has been sewn up for Brown for some years now, but the lack of contest, as Obsorne makes clear still means we have no idea of what he stands for.
However, without exception the 6 candidates for the Deputy's job all stand for the same thing - a lurch to the left. Even arch Blairite Hazel Blears is saying we need more public ownership. As Obsorne says, 'Labour is retreating into its left-wing comfort zone'. Today's attempt by the Brown camp getting a slap-down in is clearly an effort close the lid on this genie, but as we saw with a succession of Tory leaders, once a party decides to leaves the centre ground in order to shore up its core support it is very difficult for a leader to resist or reverse.
If Labour continue along this path then it will surely lose the next election, however that won't be enough for a Conservative victory.
I believe that for that to be assured three things are required.
1- Clarity over policy. i.e. a local choice over schooling, should be a genuine local choice;
2- Professionalism in conveying policy. Messages should be clear and free of spin;
3- Unity of purpose. An end to division.
The past fortnight has been an example in how not to do the first- as long as the lesson is learnt, the party should be able to move forward. Today's appointment of a professional Director of Communications will help achieve the second. On the third the party has been broadly united since Howard took over the leadership, however the ease in which division came is worrying.
The Grammer School issue must be a one-off for the party to win next time.
Thursday 31 May 2007
Monday 28 May 2007
Grammar Schools and Social Mobility
I have finally got around to reading fully the speech by David Willetts which has caused so much controversy in the national press.
While standing by my earlier comments that I believe that the number and type of schools an area has should be decided by local people, I actually think that many of the arguments Willetts makes against both reintroducing selection and against the comprehensive system are sound and it is a shame that much of the subsequent debate has been focussed on his comments on selection.
Grammar Schools were an effective solution to the problems faced between the 1940s and 1970s. This (still newish) century requires a different answer, because the situation is no longer the same.
Willetts makes the case that one (and perhaps the most important) reason why education matters is to provide social mobility, allowing the brightest working class pupils to do as well as their middle class peers - true equality of opportunity. This is what the Grammar schools used to help achieve. While people played by the rules of the Grammar/Secondary Modern game then all was OK, but following the introduction of Comprehensive Schools social mobility started to break down. Middle class parents increasingly used money (directly, by funding private education or private tuition, or indirectly, via moving house to be closer to a popular school and by funding after school activities), or their own educational advantages by helping at home. All schools (including the remaining Grammars) then tended to entrench advantage rather than promote mobility. Willetts backs this up with a wealth of evidence.
The case against introducing new Grammar schools today is that selection at 11 is now likely to be too late to help those from poorer backgrounds succeed and not be popular with the parents of the 80% of children that don't get a place there. There are better ways of raising standards - better discipline, streaming within schools , good management and leadership - all of which should make for better teaching. And only once there are enough good education options for all children will education outcomes by improved for all children (not just those of middle class parents).
How then do we proceed? Willetts (and I agree with this) says that 'supply side' reform is needed. However well designed no admissions system will provide a decent opportunity for every child unless parents have a genuine choice of schools, and outside of London and the bigger towns and cities, it also means a choice between schools which are locally accessible.
In my view this means that over-subscribed schools need to be able to expand and successful schools take over unsuccessful schools. And new schools need to be allowed to be opened, by local government, by groups or parents, charities, educational trusts and businesses. All schools need to have more freedom in how they are run and how they are structured and where they get their services (especially non-teaching - e.g., finance, maintenance) from. This will require a less centralised and bureaucratic approach and more local accountability. The roles for central government would be to set minimum standards (not detailed criteria) and local government would be as a service provider (including where there is demand, of schools) and a commissioner of services in the case of market failure.
However this is much easier to say than to implement - the challenges facing the next Conservative Government is to make all this happen, without introducing too much bureaucracy. Continuing with City Technology Colleges and City Academies are only one option, there are others, including if there were to be demand, Grammar Schools!
While standing by my earlier comments that I believe that the number and type of schools an area has should be decided by local people, I actually think that many of the arguments Willetts makes against both reintroducing selection and against the comprehensive system are sound and it is a shame that much of the subsequent debate has been focussed on his comments on selection.
Grammar Schools were an effective solution to the problems faced between the 1940s and 1970s. This (still newish) century requires a different answer, because the situation is no longer the same.
Willetts makes the case that one (and perhaps the most important) reason why education matters is to provide social mobility, allowing the brightest working class pupils to do as well as their middle class peers - true equality of opportunity. This is what the Grammar schools used to help achieve. While people played by the rules of the Grammar/Secondary Modern game then all was OK, but following the introduction of Comprehensive Schools social mobility started to break down. Middle class parents increasingly used money (directly, by funding private education or private tuition, or indirectly, via moving house to be closer to a popular school and by funding after school activities), or their own educational advantages by helping at home. All schools (including the remaining Grammars) then tended to entrench advantage rather than promote mobility. Willetts backs this up with a wealth of evidence.
The case against introducing new Grammar schools today is that selection at 11 is now likely to be too late to help those from poorer backgrounds succeed and not be popular with the parents of the 80% of children that don't get a place there. There are better ways of raising standards - better discipline, streaming within schools , good management and leadership - all of which should make for better teaching. And only once there are enough good education options for all children will education outcomes by improved for all children (not just those of middle class parents).
How then do we proceed? Willetts (and I agree with this) says that 'supply side' reform is needed. However well designed no admissions system will provide a decent opportunity for every child unless parents have a genuine choice of schools, and outside of London and the bigger towns and cities, it also means a choice between schools which are locally accessible.
In my view this means that over-subscribed schools need to be able to expand and successful schools take over unsuccessful schools. And new schools need to be allowed to be opened, by local government, by groups or parents, charities, educational trusts and businesses. All schools need to have more freedom in how they are run and how they are structured and where they get their services (especially non-teaching - e.g., finance, maintenance) from. This will require a less centralised and bureaucratic approach and more local accountability. The roles for central government would be to set minimum standards (not detailed criteria) and local government would be as a service provider (including where there is demand, of schools) and a commissioner of services in the case of market failure.
However this is much easier to say than to implement - the challenges facing the next Conservative Government is to make all this happen, without introducing too much bureaucracy. Continuing with City Technology Colleges and City Academies are only one option, there are others, including if there were to be demand, Grammar Schools!
Friday 25 May 2007
Top 25%
At last night's Annual Council meeting I enjoyed listening to the speech by Barry Compton, the outgoing chairman (and fellow Oxted South councillor) last night relating the story of his year wearing the chain. The three things that stick out were 1- the number of engagements attended by the Chairman and Vice Chairman (around 180) and distance travelled, 5000 miles, attending them, 2- the amount of voluntary work undertaken in the district which provides so many of the support services to those in need (which proves David Cameron's point that there is such thing as society, it's just not the same thing as the state) and 3 - the ability of a Chairman to do things well beyond the remit of the Council, adding sparkle - however briefly - to people's lives, most notably for this Chairman by instituting some very well received awards for the voluntary sector.
On the business aspects our leader, Gordon Keymer, set out three priorities for the next council year and three challenges to meet.
The priorities are:
1- persuading Government to allow service delivery to occur by the most efficient means (and that this should be determined locally). Joint working should take pace between the best placed partners, regardless of tier of government and county borders.
2- Making the 2 tier district and county system work.
3- Working with the County to improve the state of the highways.
And the challenges are:
1- Dealing with the consequences of the Government's 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review
2- Dealing with challenges to our level of funding thrown up by the unitary authority debate
3- expanding weekly recycling to 2 new areas.
And finishing on a high, the NAO Quality Satisfaction Survey has put Tandridge in the top 25% of Councils, so we must be doing something right...
On the business aspects our leader, Gordon Keymer, set out three priorities for the next council year and three challenges to meet.
The priorities are:
1- persuading Government to allow service delivery to occur by the most efficient means (and that this should be determined locally). Joint working should take pace between the best placed partners, regardless of tier of government and county borders.
2- Making the 2 tier district and county system work.
3- Working with the County to improve the state of the highways.
And the challenges are:
1- Dealing with the consequences of the Government's 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review
2- Dealing with challenges to our level of funding thrown up by the unitary authority debate
3- expanding weekly recycling to 2 new areas.
And finishing on a high, the NAO Quality Satisfaction Survey has put Tandridge in the top 25% of Councils, so we must be doing something right...
Thursday 24 May 2007
First Blooding
Tonght is my first Council meeting. It is an important one as the composition of committees for the coming year will be agreed and the Chairman an Vice Chairman appointed. In days gone by this could have been a tricky affair, but given May's election results further improved the Conservative Group's majority on this occasion it should all be a formality. However, as a new boy I will be concentrating on getting simple things right like finding an appropriate seat to sit in.
Monday 21 May 2007
NHYes
My wife and baby daughter have now returned home.
Sophie was delivered at the Crowborough Birthing Centre, which is a midwife run unit. Although it feels like a private hospital it is very much an NHS run facility which provides excellent care to expectant mothers (and fathers!). Crowborough is a world away from our nearest general hospital (East Surrey) which is huge, feels constantly under pressure and is very in debt. Although both are staffed by committed and hard working staff there was no question where we wanted to go.
The real tragedy of today's centralized NHS is that units like this are few and far between, there is only one other such unit in the south of England. I believe that a de-centralised, local approach would be much better at delivering the health care solutions that local people need. The current trend to concentrate all care in large regional super hospitals is a misguided attempt to harness economies of scale.
Sophie was delivered at the Crowborough Birthing Centre, which is a midwife run unit. Although it feels like a private hospital it is very much an NHS run facility which provides excellent care to expectant mothers (and fathers!). Crowborough is a world away from our nearest general hospital (East Surrey) which is huge, feels constantly under pressure and is very in debt. Although both are staffed by committed and hard working staff there was no question where we wanted to go.
The real tragedy of today's centralized NHS is that units like this are few and far between, there is only one other such unit in the south of England. I believe that a de-centralised, local approach would be much better at delivering the health care solutions that local people need. The current trend to concentrate all care in large regional super hospitals is a misguided attempt to harness economies of scale.
Sunday 20 May 2007
Baby Daughter
My wife Helen gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Sophie at 3.23am today. Mother and baby both doing well.
Friday 18 May 2007
94% Green
Did you know that Tandridge is 94% Green belt land?
I knew it was high, but it was only at last night's (very good) training session on planning that I learned it was so high. Apart from making Tandridge one of the nicest parts of England to live , it has also it has also has the welcome consequence of giving the district (following some effective lobbying by the Council) the lowest housing target in the South East Region.
However it also means that our annual targets for house building (142 currently, falling to 112 for future years) need to be predominantly met in the already urban areas of the district, notably the Caterham/Warlingham and Oxted/Hurst Green centres.
Planning is a very rule based system, with apparently little discretion for local councillors to fully reflect local concerns. Over the next couple of years I will therefore have to get to grips with the various National Planning Policy Statements, Regional Planning Guidance and Local Development Frameworks. As you might guess, not all of these are consistent and some are downright contradictory. But, I am looking forward to trying to make it all work.
I knew it was high, but it was only at last night's (very good) training session on planning that I learned it was so high. Apart from making Tandridge one of the nicest parts of England to live , it has also it has also has the welcome consequence of giving the district (following some effective lobbying by the Council) the lowest housing target in the South East Region.
However it also means that our annual targets for house building (142 currently, falling to 112 for future years) need to be predominantly met in the already urban areas of the district, notably the Caterham/Warlingham and Oxted/Hurst Green centres.
Planning is a very rule based system, with apparently little discretion for local councillors to fully reflect local concerns. Over the next couple of years I will therefore have to get to grips with the various National Planning Policy Statements, Regional Planning Guidance and Local Development Frameworks. As you might guess, not all of these are consistent and some are downright contradictory. But, I am looking forward to trying to make it all work.
Thursday 17 May 2007
Think before you speak
At last night's Hurst Green Society AGM, I had my first opportunity to speak to some of my constituents and I think I just managed to confuse them all.
I made an intervention to clarify the issue regarding West Heath, but rather than clear the air I think I muddied the waters by using too much jargon (and most people not having a clue who I was and why I was there). For the facts see Tuesday's entry.
The lessons I learned were:
1 - introduce myself first
2 - don't use jargon
3 - think about what you are going to say before you speak
Lets hope I do better next time...
I made an intervention to clarify the issue regarding West Heath, but rather than clear the air I think I muddied the waters by using too much jargon (and most people not having a clue who I was and why I was there). For the facts see Tuesday's entry.
The lessons I learned were:
1 - introduce myself first
2 - don't use jargon
3 - think about what you are going to say before you speak
Lets hope I do better next time...
Education, Education, Education (and a bit of planning)
Last night I attended the AGM of the Hurst Green Society. This long established group campaigns hard to preserve the environment and amenities of the area . However, before the formal business took place there was an inspiring talk by the Headmaster of Holland Junior School, Andrew Jolley.
Holland School is clearly on the up becoming more and more popular with parents and from last night's talk it isn't hard to see why. I think that the aspect that impressed me most, wasn't that both parent and pupil satisfaction rates were well over the 90% mark (excellent that this is), but the evidence that those attending the school clearly feel proud to go there and are prepared to work because they want to perform well not because they will be punished if they don't. I also think that the range of outdoor activities ranging, from Helicopter rides to 'Extreme Reading'. was refreshing in this Health and Safety obsessed age.
On the subject of school policy I was disappointed to read this morning David Willetts's plan to ban new Grammar Schools under a Conservative Government. I tend to think Grammar Schools are unlikely to be the best form of education in the modern world, but really think this should be a decision for local people to make depending on local circumstances. The one-size-fits-all policy we have had in education since the 1960s has patently failed, and as shown by the example of Holland Junior School, where applications have risen strongly, on the whole local people are generally the best judge of what works best for their children.
Holland School is clearly on the up becoming more and more popular with parents and from last night's talk it isn't hard to see why. I think that the aspect that impressed me most, wasn't that both parent and pupil satisfaction rates were well over the 90% mark (excellent that this is), but the evidence that those attending the school clearly feel proud to go there and are prepared to work because they want to perform well not because they will be punished if they don't. I also think that the range of outdoor activities ranging, from Helicopter rides to 'Extreme Reading'. was refreshing in this Health and Safety obsessed age.
On the subject of school policy I was disappointed to read this morning David Willetts's plan to ban new Grammar Schools under a Conservative Government. I tend to think Grammar Schools are unlikely to be the best form of education in the modern world, but really think this should be a decision for local people to make depending on local circumstances. The one-size-fits-all policy we have had in education since the 1960s has patently failed, and as shown by the example of Holland Junior School, where applications have risen strongly, on the whole local people are generally the best judge of what works best for their children.
Wednesday 16 May 2007
Vote Blue, Get a Green Cone...
During my election campaign, one of the key issues residents raised was the need for the council to do more to recycle. Therefore I would just like to highlight to readers one initiative that TDC have launched, that of the Green Cone.
A Green Cone is a completely natural system that helps to reduce food waste that cannot be composted to its natural component of water, carbon dioxide and, depending on conditions, a very small residue. It takes all cooked and uncooked food waste including meat, fish, bones, dairy products, vegetables and fruit.
The environmental benefits of using one include:
Up to 25% of your household waste diverted from landfill.
Less food waste in landfill sites means reduced greenhouse gases.
Less rubbish means fewer lorries on the roads.
On 26th May Tandridge District Council are offering local residents the opportunity to acquire one for only £5 (compared with a RRP of £79.50). This one day sale will be happening at the Council Offices in Oxted between 10am and 3pm. Please see the TDC website for more details.
A Green Cone is a completely natural system that helps to reduce food waste that cannot be composted to its natural component of water, carbon dioxide and, depending on conditions, a very small residue. It takes all cooked and uncooked food waste including meat, fish, bones, dairy products, vegetables and fruit.
The environmental benefits of using one include:
Up to 25% of your household waste diverted from landfill.
Less food waste in landfill sites means reduced greenhouse gases.
Less rubbish means fewer lorries on the roads.
On 26th May Tandridge District Council are offering local residents the opportunity to acquire one for only £5 (compared with a RRP of £79.50). This one day sale will be happening at the Council Offices in Oxted between 10am and 3pm. Please see the TDC website for more details.
No relation
I was amused last night to come across an article by Owen Griffiths on the Sevenoaks Chronicle/East Grinstead Courier website which said I was our local MP, Peter Ainsworth's, son.
While I am very flattered to be associated in this way with our very popular and well respected MP, I think he would like me to put on record that he is far too young to be my father. In fact he is no relation whatsoever.
Honestly.
While I am very flattered to be associated in this way with our very popular and well respected MP, I think he would like me to put on record that he is far too young to be my father. In fact he is no relation whatsoever.
Honestly.
Tuesday 15 May 2007
West Heath - Appeal
Local residents may wish to be aware that Universal Consolidated Dev Ltd, the prospective developers of West Heath on Rockfield Road, who were refused planning permission in January to turn the current converted Victorian House into two blocks totalling 20 flats, have appealed the decision to the planning inspectorate.
Tandridge District Council have a good record at appeal and there is no reason to suppose this decision will be overturned. However concerned residents can make represntations direct to the planning inspectorate in Bristol (http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/index.htm) by 7 June. The case reference is APP/M3645/A/07/2043539.
Tandridge District Council have a good record at appeal and there is no reason to suppose this decision will be overturned. However concerned residents can make represntations direct to the planning inspectorate in Bristol (http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/index.htm) by 7 June. The case reference is APP/M3645/A/07/2043539.
A new beginning...
For me and for Oxted South.
On Thursday 3 May I was elected to Tandridge District Council. In doing so I defeated a Labour Councillor of 17 years standing, on a 19.8% swing, turning a Labour majority of 170 into a Conservative one of 249. In a night of dramatic results elsewhere in the country, my ward was the only one to change hands locally.
The full result was:
Simon Ainsworth Con 987
Robin Harling Lab 738
Brigid McIntosh LibDem 232
Tony Stone UK Ind 179
Spoilt 11
Turnout 49.20%
The question is now elected what do I do now? With an established Conservative leadership and an already successfully run authority, what can I bring to the party?
Well hopefully I will know more when it is decided what committees I'm on (for the anoraks our there - as a relatively small district council Tandridge still runs on a committee based rather than executive led model). However, my aim is to effectively represent the interests of my constituents and communicate with them on the issues facing the Oxted/HurstGreen/Merle Common area of Surrey.
Certainly when out campaigning the issues that interest people locally were local ones - what can we do to recycle more, why can't the roads be better maintained and what can we do to stop overdevelopment from overwhelming our infrastructure.
On Thursday 3 May I was elected to Tandridge District Council. In doing so I defeated a Labour Councillor of 17 years standing, on a 19.8% swing, turning a Labour majority of 170 into a Conservative one of 249. In a night of dramatic results elsewhere in the country, my ward was the only one to change hands locally.
The full result was:
Simon Ainsworth Con 987
Robin Harling Lab 738
Brigid McIntosh LibDem 232
Tony Stone UK Ind 179
Spoilt 11
Turnout 49.20%
The question is now elected what do I do now? With an established Conservative leadership and an already successfully run authority, what can I bring to the party?
Well hopefully I will know more when it is decided what committees I'm on (for the anoraks our there - as a relatively small district council Tandridge still runs on a committee based rather than executive led model). However, my aim is to effectively represent the interests of my constituents and communicate with them on the issues facing the Oxted/HurstGreen/Merle Common area of Surrey.
Certainly when out campaigning the issues that interest people locally were local ones - what can we do to recycle more, why can't the roads be better maintained and what can we do to stop overdevelopment from overwhelming our infrastructure.
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