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Written by Tom Clougherty
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Tuesday, 10 July 2007 |
The Conservatives' social justice group reported yesterday, and
its proposals were a mixed bag (hardly surprising given that it made
188 of them).
The proposed alcohol tax hike was widely criticized over the
weekend, and rightly so since (a) alcohol is already taxed very
heavily, and (b) demand for alcoholic drinks is basically inelastic (it
does not respond to price). More drug and alcohol treatment would be
welcome, but surely the money can be found in the existing tax take?
We've had enough stealth taxes from Gordon Brown.
But the report also contains some really excellent proposals, particularly on welfare and education.
The welfare reforms proposed by the report are clearly inspired
by similar 'workfare' schemes in the US, which have proved very
successful in getting people off benefits and into jobs. Essentially,
anyone expecting the state's support is expected to work or actively
look for or prepare for work, and this condition should be strictly
enforced. Meanwhile the delivery of benefits should be carried out by
private or voluntary sector organisations, who would be paid primarily
by results (i.e. according to how successful they are in getting people
back into work).
The education proposals are also very encouraging. At a general
level, schools and head teachers would be given greater autonomy (being
put back in charge of discipline, for instance) and freed from central
control. Head teachers in challenging schools should receive higher
salaries and improvement bonuses of up to 50 percent. Even better,
parents and alternative providers would be able to set up 'pioneer
schools' which would receive state funding on a per pupil basis. These
schools would be free from local authority control and would have
charitable status.
Parents with children in failing schools would have the right to
take their children elsewhere, and the allocated funding would follow
them. Disadvantaged children would also receive an 'education credit'
worth £500, which could be spent on supplementary tuition.
No doubt media attention will be focused on the proposal to bring
back the married-couples tax allowance, but its value is purely
symbolic. Proposals like the ones above could, on the other hand, make
a real difference to many thousands of lives.
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