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Free school meals for infants is a real Lib Dem achievement Free school meals for infants is a real Lib Dem achievement
(about 1 hour later)
Nick Clegg – a man who's said to have his conference speech stitched up before he even arrives in conferenceville – has had a good week in Glasgow, and not just in the narrow terms of imposing his will on the party faithful, usually at the expense of Vince Cable. He carried the day on a series of economic votes – seeing off the reintroduction of the 50p tax rate and a call to rebalance the economy. They matter because the first plank of any justification of his coalition deal (and any claim of its success) has to be based on making the right call on austerity and the justification-by-results of the broad outline (if not all the detail: watch Help to Buy) of Osbornomics since 2010.Nick Clegg – a man who's said to have his conference speech stitched up before he even arrives in conferenceville – has had a good week in Glasgow, and not just in the narrow terms of imposing his will on the party faithful, usually at the expense of Vince Cable. He carried the day on a series of economic votes – seeing off the reintroduction of the 50p tax rate and a call to rebalance the economy. They matter because the first plank of any justification of his coalition deal (and any claim of its success) has to be based on making the right call on austerity and the justification-by-results of the broad outline (if not all the detail: watch Help to Buy) of Osbornomics since 2010.
They matter too because, even before the detail of austerity became so wretchedly familiar, there was the need to prove to a sceptical world that Lib Dems wanted power, and were prepared to accept the discipline and the compromises necessary to exercise it. Clegg can – probably will – claim today in his speech that he has succeeded on those core objectives.They matter too because, even before the detail of austerity became so wretchedly familiar, there was the need to prove to a sceptical world that Lib Dems wanted power, and were prepared to accept the discipline and the compromises necessary to exercise it. Clegg can – probably will – claim today in his speech that he has succeeded on those core objectives.
But he also has to be able to show that Lib Dems have something on the asset side to set against the painful negatives. He had to have policies that would not have happened without his party, preferably something more far reaching than Ed Davey's over-complicated plastic bag tax. Ringfencing the NHS budget and protecting education spending are reasonable claims, but they originate with the Cameroonian Conservatives as much as with Lib Dems.But he also has to be able to show that Lib Dems have something on the asset side to set against the painful negatives. He had to have policies that would not have happened without his party, preferably something more far reaching than Ed Davey's over-complicated plastic bag tax. Ringfencing the NHS budget and protecting education spending are reasonable claims, but they originate with the Cameroonian Conservatives as much as with Lib Dems.
Free school meals for all primary children for their first three years is a real Lib Dem achievement: something that wouldn't have happened without them, a big, long-overdue move that could genuinely transform life chances of some, and will make a significant difference to hundreds of thousands of hard-pressed families. There will be argument over whether it is the best use of scarce resources when in some school districts there aren't even enough places in reception classes for local children and the problem is set to worsen. It is also, of course, a universal rather than a means-tested benefit in an age when universal benefits are increasingly questioned.Free school meals for all primary children for their first three years is a real Lib Dem achievement: something that wouldn't have happened without them, a big, long-overdue move that could genuinely transform life chances of some, and will make a significant difference to hundreds of thousands of hard-pressed families. There will be argument over whether it is the best use of scarce resources when in some school districts there aren't even enough places in reception classes for local children and the problem is set to worsen. It is also, of course, a universal rather than a means-tested benefit in an age when universal benefits are increasingly questioned.
But there is plenty of evidence that the take-up of a free hot meal, and the merit of ending the "free school meals" stigma, outweighs such considerations. It is something Labour would like to have done, that several Labour local authorities in very poor areas have already done with impressive and measurable improvements in performance. In narrowly political terms, it also fits well with Clegg's late but welcome brake on the move to increase the number of children a childminder can look after. But there is plenty of evidence that the take-up of a free hot meal, and the merit of ending the "free school meals" stigma, outweighs such considerations. It is something Labour would like to have done, that several Labour local authorities in very poor areas have already done with impressive and measurable improvements in performance. In narrowly political terms, it also fits well with Clegg's late but welcome brake on the move to increase the number of children a childminder can look after. Even more effectively for the Lib Dem claim, Clegg can point to the trade-off with the Tories' anachronistic enthusiasm for a married couples tax allowance. Win-win for the Lib Dems, his people must think.
It won't, of course, end the very evident tension between the Orange Book Lib Dems who are comfortable with the right and the social liberals who aren't. But it will be one strong strand in any argument to counter the really fundamental question of the pre-election period – whether a coalition produces the worst of all possible worlds.It won't, of course, end the very evident tension between the Orange Book Lib Dems who are comfortable with the right and the social liberals who aren't. But it will be one strong strand in any argument to counter the really fundamental question of the pre-election period – whether a coalition produces the worst of all possible worlds.
• Coming up on Comment is free later today, a panel of expert commentary responding to Nick Clegg's conference speech.• Coming up on Comment is free later today, a panel of expert commentary responding to Nick Clegg's conference speech.
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