Analysis - Conservative Conference - Tories are forced to show their hand
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Faced with the prospect of a snap general election, the Conservative Party used its annual conference to set out its stall, outlining a raft of new policies for children, young people and families. Sarah Cooper reports from the conference floor and fringe.
The Conservatives convened in Blackpool last week with the possibility of a snap general election just around the corner. Accused of so far lacking policy, they were forced to show their hand.
Shadow minister for family welfare Maria Miller put the party's cards on the table, saying the family will be firmly entrenched in policy. "I think family policy will be a part whenever the election comes," she said. "Safeguarding children has to be part of any agenda that we put forward."
Many members of the senior shadow cabinet agreed, with a range of speeches outlining ways to improve education for children, allow them to experience risk, and let them have room to play and enjoy their childhood. Michael Gove, shadow secretary for children, schools and families, said the party would promote high-quality state schools through a campaign called Comprehensively Excellent. "It will identify the best schools in the country and campaign for the policies that make them successful to be used more widely," he said.
Pioneer schools
The party also wants to allow organisations such as charities, churches and volunteer groups the chance to set up "pioneer schools". This idea was put forward by former party leader Iain Duncan-Smith as part of his Centre for Social Justice review. Duncan-Smith believes parents of children in inner city schools want to give their children a good education, but this won't be available until schools are turned around or new ones are set up. "If parents want to get together and start a school, we'll back them with money and let them do it," he said.
In his main speech, leader David Cameron declared: "We need to open up the state monopoly and allow new schools in so we can get the sort of innovation, choice and diversity there is in the private sector."
Another major area of debate at the conference concerned the fear among parents about letting other adults have contact with their children. David Willetts, shadow secretary for innovation, universities, and skills, who has been leading the party's childhood inquiry, said: "There is a loss of confidence in other people having control of our children", adding: "The NSPCC has persuaded me clearly that Criminal Records Bureau checks are here to stay. It's a system that's essential if parents are to have confidence in professionals engaged with children."
Mary Marsh, chief executive of the NSPCC, said safeguarding children is not just down to parents: "Children won't be safe until we get back into a sense that everyone is sharing in the responsibility."
But concerns over safeguarding were counterbalanced by a desire to allow young people to develop. According to many MPs and professionals attending the conference, the young need to have the freedom to explore risk. Marsh pointed out: "If there isn't the opportunity in childhood to experience some risk, then when they reach adulthood they will be really vulnerable. Being able to get out in the open is crucial for children and young people. It's not just about risk, it's about growing up."
According to Willetts, a compensation culture is reducing the activities schools can offer children, which would give them the chance to explore their boundaries in a controlled environment. So, the party plans to give more legal protection to people organising sport and outdoor activities. "I believe these proposals can help to give children back their childhood," he explained.
Tackling gang culture
But it's not all about families. Thanks to Duncan-Smith's social justice review, the party plans to come down hard on gun and gang crime. He pointed out that 15 years ago you would not expect to find street gangs in London or Liverpool. "Street gangs offer an alternative to families for those from broken homes," he said. Willetts added: "A quarter of all children have been the victims of assault. One thing that children then do is turn to the gangs for protection."
At a Centre for Social Justice fringe event the problems of gang culture were laid bare. Mike Jervis, of the Damilola Taylor Trust, said all gang members he deals with have been excluded from school. He added the problem of gang crime is now more widespread: "It's happening in lots of communities. We need to look at the environment these boys are operating in."
Richard Taylor, father of murdered schoolboy Damilola, added: "There's a lot of work to be done with young people. We need to get them back on the right track."
Reverend Nims Obunge, chief executive of The Peace Alliance, laid the blame for gang culture firmly at the feet of politicians. "The Conservative Party is responsible for a lot of what has happened and Labour have been in government for a long time and they haven't fixed it. One way or the other both of you have failed." He added that the way to fix the problem was to have a multi-agency approach.
Duncan-Smith, whose rousing speech was agreed to be a highlight of the conference, summed it up: "Our duty now is to change society for the better."
CONSERVATIVES' MANIFESTO FOR THE YOUNG
- Introduce "pioneer schools", which would allow organisations such as charities and churches or groups of parents the chance to set up state schools offering free education on a non-selective basis
- Raise standards of all schools by finding the best state schools and sharing best practice through the Comprehensively Excellent campaign
- Bring in new regulations to tackle compensation culture surrounding events for children
- Recognise marriage in the tax system by taking the couples' penalty out of the tax system and giving people more time and flexibility to be part of the family
- Allow all parents with children aged under 16 to request flexible working arrangements.