Thursday 6 August 2009

Senior Tory attacks Cameron's localism: shock?

A rising star in the Conservative Party today launched a scathing attack on his leader's policy of localism. Shadow health minister Grant Shapps denounced David Cameron's plans to extend a postcode lottery in IVF treatment.

"Prioritisations must be made equitably," the rising Tory star declared. But this runs counter to the rousing declarations of support for decentralisation made by Cameron. "Decentralisation isn't just some theory - it really matters," the Tory leader has declared. "We're not control freaks, we're enablers."

That's not quite how the news that some health authorities have chosen not to offer three IVF cycles to infertile couples was reported (though Jim Naughtie did ask some searching questions even if he got some disingenuous answers).

But if Tory would-be ministers insist on getting cheap headlines by criticising the government for not imposing more central control over local institutions, shouldn't they have to spell out exactly what they would do themselves to rectify the situation. Or stop talking rot.

1 comment:

Tom Freeman said...

As Michael Caine once said: "Localism - and that means you do exactly what we say."