Britain's new Home Secretary has scrapped plans to create the world's first privatized forensic science service. The Guardian reports that Charles Clarke MP has overturned a decision originally taken by his disgraced predecessor David Blunkett.

This is bad news on several counts. Firstly, it comes as a result of pressure from backbench Labour MPs. They are generally far more left-wing than the Party leadership, and doctrinally opposed to privatizing anything. The leadership wants to keep them sweet before a probably May election: but by giving in to your opponents, you just strengthen them. Second, a few police forces were opposed to the change too. As a recent Civitas report showed, we have the worst police in the world. They are acting like a typical nationalized industry, institutionally opposed to change.

Third, the argument is that forensic science is too important to be left to the decisions of shareholders. But in fact this and previous governments have found ways to privatize other sensitive functions - like the defence research establishments. And the result has been huge improvement and better value. Shareholders serve you better than bureaucrats, it seems.

Fourth, privatizing some tiny function like forensic science ought to be a Sunday afternoon job for any decent government. What chance of them making deep and genuine reforms in state health, education, welfare or pensions when they can't even do that?