seeking the third way

Interesting article on leader of the oppostion, Mark Latham. Very interesting.

In his optimistic period, [he, i.e. Latham] was fond of quoting Tom Bentley of Britain's Demos Foundation: "Today's politicians are trapped in a contest between two inherently limited models of policy delivery. The left offers the promise of strong public services, developed and managed by a strong political centre, using new technology to individualise the services each citizen draws upon. The right, meanwhile, continues to offer the chimera of a minimal state, with social need met by private action. The striking fact is that both models continue with the myth that government can deliver on behalf of the people it serves.

"The truth, of course, is that politics cannot change society unless it can persuade people to change the way they themselves behave. In other words, we must now move towards grown-up government - institutions which respect the intelligence and self-determination of individuals, but which expect people to take active responsibility for producing collective solutions."

I realise it's been a while. Thanks for all those who have encouraged me. Young Austen is 6 weeks old now and we're getting a better grip on things - if that is possible. School finishes at the end of the week, so I'll have some more time and energy soon. In some respects there is not much excuse, as school has been winding down now for a couple of weeks.

Year 12s reveived their results today. We had some excellent news. JA (student) dropped by this afternoon to say hello and to have a chat - says he's very happy but a little out of sorts (wonderful results) and not sure what to do or how to react.

And thank goodness for Ann Rennie this morning - putting it all in perspective.