Dave's radical new education policy? Er, not quite

Today's Daily Telegraph, with the wide-eyed enthusiasm it reserves for prouncements from David Cameron, breathlessly informs us that "Private companies would be allowed to take over state schools under radical Conservative plans". But as we read down the story, we learn that .

The Tories insisted that any profits would be ploughed back into the classroom but their willingness to hand over the running of schools to businesses will be seized on by Labour as the first stage in moves to "privatise" the state education system.

Well, I suppose they might have in the 1980s, when the Torygraph last clocked into Labour's policies. But since the Tories are simply extending the status quo - given that under their plans the companies are not allowed to keep any profit - that would be rather odd. After all, this happened with Labour's blessing seven years ago and this and this are underway under Gordon Brown.

But then it isn't only the Torygraph that has a jaundiced view of state schools today, is it?