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Ed Miliband pledges more parent and patient power | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Ed Miliband has vowed to put more power in the hands of parents and patients in a "new culture" for public services in England. | |
The Labour leader wants to give parents the power to "call in intervention" at schools they think are failing. | |
He will also acknowledge that further spending cuts are still needed. | He will also acknowledge that further spending cuts are still needed. |
In a speech later, he will sketch out a series of reforms aiming to tackle what he calls "unaccountable" state power and "unresponsive" public services. | |
'Power in Whitehall' | 'Power in Whitehall' |
According to pre-released extracts of a speech to be delivered in London later, he will say: "I get as many people coming to me frustrated by the unresponsive state as the untamed market. | |
"And the causes of the frustrations are often the same in the private and public sector: unaccountable power with the individual feeling left powerless to act." | "And the causes of the frustrations are often the same in the private and public sector: unaccountable power with the individual feeling left powerless to act." |
Using education as an example, he will say: "Having promised to share power, this government has actually centralised power in Whitehall and is attempting to run thousands of schools from there." | Using education as an example, he will say: "Having promised to share power, this government has actually centralised power in Whitehall and is attempting to run thousands of schools from there." |
Mr Miliband will say that parents need to be empowered. | |
"They should not have to wait for somebody in Whitehall to intervene if they have serious concerns about how their school is doing, whether it is a free school, academy or local authority school. But too often they do," he will explain. | |
"In all schools, there should be a parental right to 'call in' intervention. This would happen when a significant number of parents come together and call for immediate action on standards." | |
He will also say all NHS patients should be able to access their health records "swiftly and effectively". | He will also say all NHS patients should be able to access their health records "swiftly and effectively". |