David Cameron’s Government has shown the same pattern again and again in its approach to policymaking.
First, the hasty, ill-thought-through announcement. Next, the chorus of opposition from those who understand the dangerous consequences of the policy. Finally, the humiliating u-turn.
The Tory-led Government isn’t just going too far and too fast in its approach to cutting the deficit – on policy after policy, the Government has rushed headlong in the wrong direction, and then been forced by its own incompetence into one embarrassing climbdown after another.
U-TURN: FORESTRY SELL-OFF
The Government announced last year that it intended to dispose of public forest estate, “with diminishing public ownership and a greater role for private and civil society partners”. Forestry minister Jim Paice said that the disposal “could go to the extent of all of it”.
The proposal met widespread opposition, including a petition signed by over half a million people. Charities including the National Trust, the Woodland Trust and the RSPB raised serious concerns.
Ed Miliband challenged David Cameron over the policy at Prime Minister’s Questions on 16 February; Mr Cameron admitted that he was not happy with the policy, but refused to commit to cancelling it.
By the end of the day, the policy had been dropped altogether.
U-TURN: HOUSING BENEFIT CUT BY 10% FOR LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED
George Osborne’s June Budget contained a policy to cut Housing Benefit by 10% for people who had been on Jobseekers Allowance for 12 months.
The policy was strongly criticised by expert groups including Shelter, Gingerbread and the Child Poverty Action Group.
Ed Miliband challenged David Cameron on the 10% cut in housing benefit for long-term JSA claimants at Prime Minister’s Questions in October. David Cameron said that “These are difficult changes, but I think that they are right” and “we are sticking to our plans”.
Labour repeatedly made it clear that it strongly opposed the policy, with then Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary describing it as “completely unacceptable”.
Now, Iain Duncan Smith has confirmed that the policy has been dropped.
U-TURN: ANONYMITY FOR RAPE DEFENDANTS
The Coalition agreement included a commitment to “extend anonymity in rape cases to
defendants”. This had not been included in either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat
manifesto.
Harriet Harman, as Labour Leader, raised the issue with David Cameron at Prime Minister’s Questions in June. Mr Cameron defended the policy, saying “I think this does represent a good
way forward”.
The plans were dropped in July.
U-TURN: 55% THRESHOLD FOR DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT
The Coalition agreement included a commitment to require 55% of the House of Commons to vote in favour of the dissolution of Parliament before the end of a fixed five-year term.
This had not been included in either the Conservative or Liberal Democrat manifesto.
The proposal met cross-party opposition, with strong criticism from, amongst others,
Conservative David Davis and former Labour ministers David Blunkett, Jack Straw and Lord Falconer.
The Government announced a u-turn in July. Nick Clegg said that instead of the 55% rule, there would be a provision for a general election to be held if a Government could not be formed within 14 days of a vote of no confidence.
U-TURN: AUTOMATIC PRISON SENTENCES FOR CARRYING A KNIFE
Before the election, David Cameron said that people caught carrying a knife “should go to prison” as an “automatic deterrent”.
The Government’s December Green Paper on Sentencing says that they will develop a new “community based intervention” for people caught in possession of a knife. It says that only adults caught committing a crime with a knife and juveniles found guilty of serious knife offences can expect to go to prison.
U-TURN: DAVID CAMERON’S PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
In November it was reported that Andrew Parsons, David Cameron’s personal photographer, had been given a civil service contract after previously being a member of Conservative Party staff. Nicky Woodhouse, who ran the Webcameron website, was also given a civil service job.
Ed Miliband raised the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions in November. David Cameron
complained about the question, saying “Honestly, why not engage with the issues?”
Two weeks later, on the day of the announcement of the Royal Wedding, David Cameron reversed the decision to employ Mr Parsons and Ms Woodhouse.
U-TURN: SCHOOL SPORT CUTS
In October, Michael Gove wrote to Baroness Sue Campbell of the Youth Sport Trust to tell her that the Government was cutting its £162 million funding for school sports partnerships.
Ed Miliband challenged David Cameron on the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions in November, saying that it was “frankly a daft decision that he should U-turn on as soon as possible“. David Cameron defended the policy. The Department for Education said that “The decision around the £162m and the sports strategy has been made and will not be reversed."
On 20 December, in a partial u-turn, Michael Gove announced that he had found an additional £112 million of funding to continue school sport partnerships and support school sport.
U-TURN: BOOKSTART CUTS
On 17 December the charity Booktrust, which provides free books for children from the age of nine months until 11, was informed by the Department for Education that funding for all of its English bookgifting programmes was to be cut by 100% from April 2011.
Well-known authors including Ian McEwan and Carol Anne Duffy attacked the plan. Philip Pullman described it as “sheer stupid vandalism”. Ed Miliband called on the Government to reconsider.
The Department for Education initially continued to maintain that “in these difficult economic times ministers have to take tough decisions on spending”.
In January, the Government announced that it would “continue to fund Booktrust book-gifting programmes in the future”.
U-TURN: FREE SCHOOL MILK SCRAPPED
In August 2010, Public Health Minister Anne Milton wrote to her Scottish counterpart Shona Robison to tell her about “our proposals to abolish the long-standing statutory Nursery Milk scheme”. She admitted “I am aware that the abolition of the scheme is likely to he highly controversial, particularly as this will affect some children in low-income families.”
Universities minister David Willetts defended the policy on air, before being informed mid-interview of a statement from Downing Street saying that it had in fact been scrapped.
U-TURN: DEBT ADVICE CUTS
The Government confirmed in January that it planned to close the Financial Inclusion Fund, which helped Citizens’ Advice increase the availability of face-to-face debt advice to financially excluded clients, at the end of March 2011.
Citizens’ Advice Chief Executive Gillian Guy told the Justice Select Committee that the axing of the Financial Inclusion Fund, taken together with the other cuts to the funding of Citizens’ Advice, would have a “devastating” impact on the kind of advice it would provide at a time of increasing demand.
Last week, the Government announced that it would provide £27 million of funding to
continue debt advice services for another year.
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