I fear Yasmin Alibhai-Brown`s husband may be correct, and that "post-election
blues have weakened her political resolve" (Progressive thinking can come from
surprising directions,18/05/15). She seems to have forgotten a number of things
about the Tories, even about the ones she hopes will somehow reduce the harm
done by "the brutish, iniquitous laws" soon to be passed. Didn`t Cameron`s
post-election "one nation" speech remind her of Thatcher`s first speech as PM,
when she also promised "harmony" and "truth"? Doesn`t Alibhai-Brown recall that
Gove`s first action as Education Secretary in 2010 was to remove the Education
Maintenance Allowance, thereby not only preventing thousands of would-be sixth
formers from adding to their qualifications, but ensuring no increase in social
mobility? Davis and Grieve may "fight hard against plans to replace the Human
Rights Act", but neither are in the current, increasingly right-wing, Cabinet,
and their efforts are destined to fail.
Indeed, as your editorial correctly says, it looks
like, at least in the short term, that it will be
up to the unions to assume "the mantle of chief opponent of cuts" and attacks on
public services (A power to unite,18/05/15). The editorial condemns employers
who "see the minimum wage as a pay ceiling rather than the floor", but, as long
as the Tories see wage cuts or freezes as the way to make what they laughingly
call "efficiency savings", industrial action will be viewed by employees as
their only option. Inevitably, the right-wing media will see McCluskey and his
Unite union an easy target, but when the Royal College of Nursing threatens
action, even Blairite leadership candidates need to take note! (Nurses may call
strike over seven-day NHS plans,18/05/15) With Jeremy Hunt totally unwilling to
reveal, on Radio 4`s Today programme, how funding for NHS reforms will be found,
a "season of strikes" looks increasingly on the cards; the Labour leadership
could well be decided by the candidates` reaction to it!
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