he accused leftwing critics of promoting "a version of the old levelling-down mentality that kept us in opposition for so long".

Yes, Tony, but it got them into the position of creating the Comprehensive system in the first place, didn't it?

Once again, I must confess that I'm puzzled over Labour's cry of "CHOICE, DAMMIT!" As far as I can imagine, parents don't really want to choose their child's school - they just want them to go to a good one. So, yes, being an evil left-wing pinko Communist here, but why not try and concentrate on improving the schools instead of the hand-waving of parental selection?

I'm also a little worried about the idea that the schools will be able to set their own curriculum. I'd like to know just how far schools will be allowed to go in this manner. In the worst case, we could, for example, end up seeing Stupid Idiots deciding to teach children fairy tales in lieu of actual science.

(and, if I am going all out, we should be reducing the number of faith schools, not increasing them. Despite going to a Roman Catholic primary school myself, I think that religious instruction should take place outside the school system.)

This has been an "okay, so you scrapped grant-maintained schools as soon as you got in, and now you're bringing them back? Whatever…" post for the day.