The two most interesting cabinet ministers these days are Gove and Ian Duncan-Smith. It seems to me, from the outside taking (very) occasional peeks in, that Gove, despite a mountain range of impediments from local education authorities, teacher unions (natch!) and his own civil servants, seems to be making gradual progress. I confess to ignorance on the details but I judge his efficacy by the howls of rage and strike action coming from the unions. You shall know your man by his enemies, and all that sort of thing.
IDS has an even trickier job in attempting to sort out an obviously unfit-for-purpose welfare system made up of bodge upon bodge upon bodge as generations of politicians always after a cheap (but actually expensive) headline have added this, that and the other goodie to the pile. However, IDS spent several years in opposition studying this problem and honing his policies ready for the day when he was in charge so he has 'no hiding place' if things go wrong. He has already 'admitted' that his plans will not save money, only manage it better. I wonder if he just said that in order to duck some of the incoming from the usual shriekers and moaners and that he will act all surprised when in a few years time the welfare budget has indeed shrunk - as it aught to do. The details of welfare entitlements are quite beyond my ken and I dread ever having to try and make a claim. However, I am constantly surprised how sundry 'yobs' and 'yobettes' who can barely read and write manage to master their 'welfare brief' faster than most ministers!
Anyway, I wish both Gove and IDS well and hope that they succeed. If they do, at least they will provide two glimmering lights in this endless coalition night.
The last time I had dealings with the benefit system was when they refused to give us child credits for our child, claiming that she didn't exist. I pointed out that not only did she exist but that she paid them National Insurance on her weekend job. In the end I gave up.
Posted by: dearieme | Monday, 08 April 2013 at 22:31
Ye shoulda sent wee Alex and his mates roond to the Welfare for a wee chat, know wot I mean!
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 09 April 2013 at 08:56