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| Ed Miliband pledges more parent and patient power | Ed Miliband pledges more parent and patient power |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Ed Miliband has said a future Labour government would create a "new culture" for public services in England, handing more power to parents and patients. | Ed Miliband has said a future Labour government would create a "new culture" for public services in England, handing more power to parents and patients. |
| The Labour leader wants to give parents the power to "call in intervention" at schools they think are failing. | The Labour leader wants to give parents the power to "call in intervention" at schools they think are failing. |
| This could result in the head teachers responsible facing the sack. | |
| 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. | 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. |
| Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said the plans would entail "more spending, more borrowing and more taxes". | |
| Mr Miliband will acknowledge in his speech that further spending cuts are still needed, saying: "That is why it is all the more necessary to get every pound of value out of services." | Mr Miliband will acknowledge in his speech that further spending cuts are still needed, saying: "That is why it is all the more necessary to get every pound of value out of services." |
| 'Radical reshaping' | 'Radical reshaping' |
| According to extracts of his speech, to be delivered in London, 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. | 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. | "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." | "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." |
| Former Labour Education Secretary David Blunkett is leading a review on how to decentralise decision-making over schools, and is due to confirm the details of what these interventions might entail when he reports towards the end of March. | |
| 'Swiftly and effectively' | |
| He is understood to be considering the creation of specialist improvement teams, with powers to order schools to collaborate more and even to sack failing headteachers. | He is understood to be considering the creation of specialist improvement teams, with powers to order schools to collaborate more and even to sack failing headteachers. |
| For schools rated "good" by Ofsted, an improvement team could be called in if a majority of parents of pupils at the school agree it is needed. For schools rated "requires improvement", the bar is expected to be set lower, but has not yet been confirmed. | For schools rated "good" by Ofsted, an improvement team could be called in if a majority of parents of pupils at the school agree it is needed. For schools rated "requires improvement", the bar is expected to be set lower, but has not yet been confirmed. |
| Mr Miliband will also say all NHS patients should be able to access their health records "swiftly and effectively" and commit his party to a "radical reshaping of services so that local services can come together and make the decisions that matter to their own communities". | Mr Miliband will also say all NHS patients should be able to access their health records "swiftly and effectively" and commit his party to a "radical reshaping of services so that local services can come together and make the decisions that matter to their own communities". |
| In October, shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt pledged that a future Labour government would support "parent-led schools". | |
| He had previously been scathing of Education Secretary Michael Gove's free schools policy, under which parents and other groups are able to establish schools operating outside local authority control. | |
| Grant Shapps said: "As part of our long-term economic plan to secure a better future for Britain, we've reduced our deficit to safeguard our economy for the long-term and keep mortgage rates low. | |
| "That has meant making difficult decisions in the public sector so we still deliver first class public services, but for less. Labour have opposed every single change we have made - calling for more spending and borrowing instead. | "That has meant making difficult decisions in the public sector so we still deliver first class public services, but for less. Labour have opposed every single change we have made - calling for more spending and borrowing instead. |
| "And now Ed Miliband is still calling for yet more spending, more borrowing and more taxes. It's the same old Labour - they have no long-term economic plan. That would mean a less secure future for Britain and for hardworking people and their families." | "And now Ed Miliband is still calling for yet more spending, more borrowing and more taxes. It's the same old Labour - they have no long-term economic plan. That would mean a less secure future for Britain and for hardworking people and their families." |