Conservatives
• Following the European elections, all parties have sought to move on with new policy announcements – and public services have taken centre stage.
• The Conservatives have launched new policy papers on both health and education, both entitled The Right to Choose. These policies are re-branded versions of the earlier ‘Patients’ Passport’ and ‘Pupils’ Passport’ policies.
• The Tories new health policy has three main components. First, they have promised to give patients a complete right to choose which hospital treats them. This would cover not only the NHS, but also private providers that are prepared to meet NHS prices. Furthermore, the Tories propose to allow patients who want to go outside the NHS to subsidise their treatment by up to half the cost of the same procedure on the NHS. Second, the Tories have promised to abolish all NHS targets. And finally, they have promised to enact a ‘right to supply,’ whereby the NHS would be obliged to accept private providers that could match NHS prices.
• On schools, the Tories have promised to allow parents to choose any school to educate their children. However, schools would also be given complete discretion over admissions, heralding a return to selection not just at age 11 but also at five. The surplus places rule would be removed, allowing schools to expand. And schools would be given the final say over expulsions. The Tories would also try to stimulate a big expansion in private education by making it much easier to establish new schools and by instituting what is effectively a voucher scheme enabling parents to use state money for private school fees. However, after a bitter row in the shadow cabinet, the Tories have decided against allowing parents to top up the value of the voucher. Only private schools with fees comparable to the state sector would therefore be eligible.
• In addition to launching the new policies, Conservative leader Michael Howard announced a reshuffle of his shadow cabinet. Tim Yeo was removed as overlord for health and education, taking on the transport and environment portfolio instead. His erstwhile deputies, shadow health spokesman Andrew Lansley and shadow education spokesman Tim Collins, were both elevated to full shadow cabinet status. And Theresa May, who formerly occupied Mr Yeo’s new position, was demoted to a newly created non-departmental role covering family issues.
LibDems
• In an effort to differentiate himself from the two main parties, LibDem leader Charles Kennedy adopted a leftist position on public service reform, claiming that ‘what people want is quality public services available locally not false choices’ – despite the many similarities between the LibDem policy paper on public services and the choice agenda advocated by Labour and the Conservatives.
• Health spokesman Paul Burstow called on the Government to enact a complete national ban on smoking in public places. He also condemned planned increases in dental charges.
• Rural affairs spokesman Andrew George has called for the creation of a Food Trade Inspectorate, based within the Office of Fair Trading, to regulate the relationship between supermarkets and their suppliers.
• Transport spokesman John Thurso has called for Air Passenger Duty to be replaced with an Aircraft Departure Charge to encourage airlines to maximise capacity and buy more fuel efficient and less polluting planes.