Free schools are reality – denounce them at your peril

Quicker than you can say ‘reactionary lefty’, Owen Jones deplored new Shadow Education Secretary Stephen Twigg‘s supposed u-turn on Labour’s position on free schools.

Neither Twigg’s move nor Owen’s piece were surprising. Twigg made it clear in his Purple Book chapter that ‘redistributing power’ is key to Labour returning to office. Free schools are an embodiment of that value; of distributing power to the vulnerable in society. It is also clear manifestation of Ed Miliband’s responsibility drive, through which communities can take responsibility back from the state.

The opposition against free schools from many on the left is simply irresponsible. At the most basic level, free schools are about providing improved education to Britain’s children. Commentators such as Jones seem only capable of composing an argument against the ethics of policy announcement (because it was a Tory policy, it couldn’t possibly be a Labour one too). Twigg’s u-turn wasn’t really all that – he is a new Shadow Secretary, the party is in need of policy ideas and he gave us one to run with.

Does that mean that’s all Twigg’s announcement was good for? Not at all. It is no secret that we need to win back the South of England in order to make ground at the next election. This policy suits that; it opens up Labour to the entire nation and says ‘yes, we are responsible’. It is broad and it is brave. Simply opposing free schools would be grossly opportunistic.

What Stephen Twigg was careful to say – and the media were quick to ignore – was that any such backing of free schools would be subject to stringent tests. That, presumably, covers the basic necessity of any new education policy: does it drive up standards? If the answer is yes, how could we possibly oppose them? Not only would it be counter-productive, it would be deemed by the electorate as irresponsible.

What this debate should inspire amongst the party is a desire to push the policy further. Open it up, make it fairer, bring in co-operative ownership. That suits Ed’s responsibility message perfectly. If the studies are correct which show free schools increase social segregation then we are the party best placed to counter that side-effect.

The party must get over the stigma of a Tory policy being an untouchable policy. We should look at ideas from the right as ideas which we can take to the country with Labour values; fairness and equality. That is what being a progressive is all about; if you would rather scrap something than change it, what values do you stand up for?

Owen Jones horribly misjudges this Coaltion Government as ‘deeply radical right-wing’. That clearly isn’t the case. The Lib Dems think the Tories are too far right, the Tories think the Lib Dems are too far left, the voters think we are all the same.

We lost support in the centre-ground in 2010; policies such as these are perfect for the Conservatives if we blindly oppose them. They can take to those vital swing voters, the middle classes (of which most people are or aspire to be a part of), the message that the ‘loony left’ opposed making your child’s education better. What sort of Labour values does that uphold?