Spending Review - A Case of Balancing the Books on the Backs of the Poor

Yesterday's spending review demonstrated like nothing else just how our party leadership have betrayed the values we erstwhile all held dear. I have no doubt that many of our ministers in government worked hard behind the scenes to make it all "Less Bad" - but the ultimate impact, and their complicity in policies which seemed predicated on a belief that while someone is down they should get a kicking - is hugely disappointing. We have just issued a statement here on Liberal Left. But that doesn't express my own personal disappointment, that the wider parliamentary party appears to have nothing to say about Osborne's statement yesterday, other than to roll over and have their tummies tickled.

"An Educated Party, but not actually expanding that Education"

A quote from Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera during a session at the EMLD/SLF Race Equality conference last week. I have been reflecting on that, particularly given the news today that Michael Gove is approaching education with the typical reforming zeal of a blinkered idealog - I wait with interest to hear what the party response to this will be.  

For anyone lucky enough to attend the conference to launch the Taskforce report on Race Equality, it was a truly brilliant day - all credit to EMLD and SLF - and I personally thought it was important to get the message out to those working with children and young people that tackling discrimination is still a priority for Liberal Democrats. For that reason I used my Children and Young People Now Blog to draw attention to what is an excellent report - now the pressure is on all of us to make its recommendations a reality.