tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post112673059525012304..comments2024-03-27T16:39:43.522+00:00Comments on Liberal England: Sure Start, uncertain reasoningJonathan Calderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00730157683743989696noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-1127059588267011662005-09-18T17:06:00.000+01:002005-09-18T17:06:00.000+01:00What irritates me most about Polly Toynbee is the ...What irritates me most about Polly Toynbee is the way she boasts about Surestart as a Labour achievement, while at the same time, both Polly Toynbee and Labour policy is aggressively pro-abortion. How can they get away with talking about a "surestart for every child" and talking about social justice, while they terminate the lives of 500 children a day? So much for this government being pro-children! Tinkering with literacy rates is nothing in comparison to saving the lives of children from abortion, and improving maternity and neonatal care which studies show is in a shocking state.Fionahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15662704768311685627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-1126827763140225912005-09-16T00:42:00.000+01:002005-09-16T00:42:00.000+01:00I am not sure if my article for liberator attackin...I am not sure if my article for liberator attacking the dreaded Toynbee is going in the current issue (as a Collective member you would know best Jonathan).<BR/><BR/>However, the last time I read her pontificating about SureStart she was complaining that the money had not been ringfenced so local councils could spend it as they wish.<BR/><BR/>I am in danger of becoming quite unbalanced on the subject of Polly Toynbee. She represents all that is most patronising about the left. As Hilaire Belloc once said of the Webbs: 'Running the poor is [her] hobby.'Iain Sharpehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07249331216466329232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-1126740174733446822005-09-15T00:22:00.000+01:002005-09-15T00:22:00.000+01:00In my view it is too early to evaluate whether Sur...In my view it is too early to evaluate whether Sure Start will make a significant difference long term.<BR/><BR/>It can only work by changing deep rooted attitudes and social problems in communities and that will not happen quickly.<BR/><BR/>From what I have seen the scheme here is having some impact, even if only by providing some hours in the week where young parents and their children are in a positive and safe environment where they are encouraged to develop.<BR/><BR/>Saying that it is quite clear to me that the rules and regs around the scheme are something of a straightjacket that severly restrict the potential for success on the ground.<BR/><BR/>We could have made much better use of the resources in our local SureStart scheme if there were fewer restrictions on how things have to be done. A huge amount of time and energy is spent on form filling.<BR/><BR/>Toynbee is right to the extent that quality services of the kind offered by SureStart do not come cheap. <BR/><BR/>The Government's idea that schemes will some how become self-financing has no logic whatsoever. They either believe that it is worth investing money in thes eservices because the longer term benefits will justify it, or they don't.<BR/><BR/>A less constrained and better resourced scheme could bring a range of services to people at a much more local level, help improve parenting skills and confidence, boost literacy and social skills in youngesters, support local communities and be a catalyst for local voluntary action.<BR/><BR/>The current level of red tape around the SureStart scheme sadly makes this much less likely to happen.<BR/><BR/>(Former Chair of Abingdon Family Centre and member of Abingdon Sure Start Management Committee)Liberal Neilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550999774301073111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6606798.post-1126731810666353622005-09-14T22:03:00.000+01:002005-09-14T22:03:00.000+01:00Fantastic.tbf, the report identified some componen...Fantastic.<BR/>tbf, the report identified some components that seemed to work, and one can make acase for their expansion. Still it is a knee-jerk reaction. But what else did we expect from Polly?Peter Pigeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10741462448758919750noreply@blogger.com