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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/29/dominic-raab-more-rightwing-on-education-than-thatcher-tory-private-sector-state-schools-profit
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| Dominic Raab 'more rightwing on education than Thatcher' | Dominic Raab 'more rightwing on education than Thatcher' |
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| Tory leadership hopeful Dominic Raab has been described as more rightwing than Margaret Thatcher over his proposal to let state schools be run by profit-making companies | Tory leadership hopeful Dominic Raab has been described as more rightwing than Margaret Thatcher over his proposal to let state schools be run by profit-making companies |
| Raab, who is second favourite in the race to be the next prime minister, made the case for privately run state schools in 2013 and again in 2014, saying the government should open up the education system for companies to make money. | Raab, who is second favourite in the race to be the next prime minister, made the case for privately run state schools in 2013 and again in 2014, saying the government should open up the education system for companies to make money. |
| The idea is one of a number of rightwing proposals put forward by Raab in pamphlets over the years. The former Brexit secretary has also suggested encouraging more private companies into the NHS by giving them tax breaks or paying them premiums, and scrapping the 45% top rate of income tax, instead having a basic rate at 15% and a higher rate at 35%. | The idea is one of a number of rightwing proposals put forward by Raab in pamphlets over the years. The former Brexit secretary has also suggested encouraging more private companies into the NHS by giving them tax breaks or paying them premiums, and scrapping the 45% top rate of income tax, instead having a basic rate at 15% and a higher rate at 35%. |
| Tory leadership contest latest odds tracker: who's up and who's down? | Tory leadership contest latest odds tracker: who's up and who's down? |
| Asked whether Raab still endorsed the idea of letting companies run state schools, his spokesman did not rule out the proposal, saying: “Dominic has set out his priorities to fight for a fairer Britain – a fairer deal for workers by cutting taxes for those on low and middle incomes, a fairer society by boosting apprenticeships and getting a fairer deal from Brussels.” | Asked whether Raab still endorsed the idea of letting companies run state schools, his spokesman did not rule out the proposal, saying: “Dominic has set out his priorities to fight for a fairer Britain – a fairer deal for workers by cutting taxes for those on low and middle incomes, a fairer society by boosting apprenticeships and getting a fairer deal from Brussels.” |
| In his 2013 paper Capitalism for the Little Guy, Raab suggested the government should “lift the bar on profit-making companies running academies and free schools”, subject to a minimum of 50% of profits being reinvested into the school. At present academies and free schools cannot be run for profit. | In his 2013 paper Capitalism for the Little Guy, Raab suggested the government should “lift the bar on profit-making companies running academies and free schools”, subject to a minimum of 50% of profits being reinvested into the school. At present academies and free schools cannot be run for profit. |
| Raab wrote that opening up schools to profit-making companies could help to raise capital investment for education at a time when funding from central government was under pressure, arguing that such a move would help raise standards. | Raab wrote that opening up schools to profit-making companies could help to raise capital investment for education at a time when funding from central government was under pressure, arguing that such a move would help raise standards. |
| He acknowledged there was an “understandable sensitivity of introducing the profit motive into schooling”, suggesting that as well as the 50% profit limit on, dividends should only be paid if educational performance standards were met and that there should be a bar on the sale for commercial gain of school assets purchased with public money. | He acknowledged there was an “understandable sensitivity of introducing the profit motive into schooling”, suggesting that as well as the 50% profit limit on, dividends should only be paid if educational performance standards were met and that there should be a bar on the sale for commercial gain of school assets purchased with public money. |
| However, Labour called on Raab to say he would not implement the policy as prime minister and demanded that the education secretary, Damian Hinds, and the other leadership candidates also ruled out such a move. | However, Labour called on Raab to say he would not implement the policy as prime minister and demanded that the education secretary, Damian Hinds, and the other leadership candidates also ruled out such a move. |
| Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, said: “The Conservatives have already done enough damage to our schools but even Margaret Thatcher didn’t dare to privatise them.“Education should be a right, not a commodity to be bought and sold. The Tories have absolutely no mandate for policies like this.” | Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, said: “The Conservatives have already done enough damage to our schools but even Margaret Thatcher didn’t dare to privatise them.“Education should be a right, not a commodity to be bought and sold. The Tories have absolutely no mandate for policies like this.” |
| Labour MP Jess Phillips, who has been fighting against school funding cuts, added: “It’s an absolute total and utter nonsense to let the market decide what is best for our children. The children that get left behind will not be profitable. | Labour MP Jess Phillips, who has been fighting against school funding cuts, added: “It’s an absolute total and utter nonsense to let the market decide what is best for our children. The children that get left behind will not be profitable. |
| “Disabled children, kids with special educational needs, kids from domestic violence backgrounds, who struggle to fit into the system we created will not make the largest profit. Just introduce him to [former justice secretary] Chris Grayling and ask him how well the whole probation privatisation went.” | “Disabled children, kids with special educational needs, kids from domestic violence backgrounds, who struggle to fit into the system we created will not make the largest profit. Just introduce him to [former justice secretary] Chris Grayling and ask him how well the whole probation privatisation went.” |
| Raab has quickly become one of the favourites in the leadership race, having taken a tough line on the UK leaving the EU at the end of October regardless of whether a deal has been approved. | Raab has quickly become one of the favourites in the leadership race, having taken a tough line on the UK leaving the EU at the end of October regardless of whether a deal has been approved. |
| His style is notably technocratic, with few rhetorical flourishes and an emphasis on his consensual approach and long record as a minister, notably during more than five years as health secretary, a traditional graveyard of ministerial careers. Hunt’s attempts to talk up a backstory as an 'underestimated' entrepreneur can fall flat given he is also the son of an admiral and was head boy at Charterhouse. | His style is notably technocratic, with few rhetorical flourishes and an emphasis on his consensual approach and long record as a minister, notably during more than five years as health secretary, a traditional graveyard of ministerial careers. Hunt’s attempts to talk up a backstory as an 'underestimated' entrepreneur can fall flat given he is also the son of an admiral and was head boy at Charterhouse. |
| Overall, Hunt’s approach can seem uninspiring and hard to pin down in terms of core beliefs, hence the 'Theresa in trousers' nickname among some Tory MPs – one that is more catchy than accurate (since May herself often wears trousers). | Overall, Hunt’s approach can seem uninspiring and hard to pin down in terms of core beliefs, hence the 'Theresa in trousers' nickname among some Tory MPs – one that is more catchy than accurate (since May herself often wears trousers). |
| In the final round of MP voting Hunt edged out Michael Gove, 77 votes to 75. | |
| Johnson’s progress to Downing Street appeared unstoppable even before an overwhelming victory in the first round of voting among MPs. Most of his colleagues believe it is now all but inevitable that he will be Britain’s next prime minister. | |
| His well-disciplined campaign team will continue with their strategy of subjecting him to minimal media exposure, though once the field is narrowed down to two, the final pair will appear in more than a dozen head-to-head hustings for Tory members. The team’s main aim is simply to keep heads down and avoid Johnson creating headlines for the wrong reasons. It may not have worked. | |
| Johnson came first in the final round of MP voting with 160 votes. | |
| However, he has also written extensively about his domestic policy ideas over the years. He has proposed scrapping all “levies subsidising green technologies” on energy bills, ending the minimum wage for the under-21s working for small businesses and making it easier for companies to sack underperforming employees. | However, he has also written extensively about his domestic policy ideas over the years. He has proposed scrapping all “levies subsidising green technologies” on energy bills, ending the minimum wage for the under-21s working for small businesses and making it easier for companies to sack underperforming employees. |
| The MP for Esher and Walton has also spoken of wanting to scrap the Government Equalities Office, which he describes as “pointless”, and merging the Department for International Development into the Foreign Office. | The MP for Esher and Walton has also spoken of wanting to scrap the Government Equalities Office, which he describes as “pointless”, and merging the Department for International Development into the Foreign Office. |
| When Raab was challenged at the weekend over his claim from 2011 that feminists were some of the most obnoxious bigots and that men were getting a raw deal, he appeared to stand by the position. | When Raab was challenged at the weekend over his claim from 2011 that feminists were some of the most obnoxious bigots and that men were getting a raw deal, he appeared to stand by the position. |
| On the BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, he said: “[It is] really important that in the debate on equality we have a consistency and not double standards and hypocrisy.” | On the BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, he said: “[It is] really important that in the debate on equality we have a consistency and not double standards and hypocrisy.” |
| Pressed by ITV on Wednesday on whether he would describe himself as a feminist, Raab said: “No, probably not. But I would describe myself as someone who’s a champion of equality and meritocracy.” | Pressed by ITV on Wednesday on whether he would describe himself as a feminist, Raab said: “No, probably not. But I would describe myself as someone who’s a champion of equality and meritocracy.” |
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