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Tories 'to carry on Blair reform' Tories 'to carry on Blair reform'
(10 minutes later)
The Conservatives are best placed to carry on Tony Blair's public service reforms, the shadow chancellor says.The Conservatives are best placed to carry on Tony Blair's public service reforms, the shadow chancellor says.
George Osborne claimed Gordon Brown, the next prime minister, had "abandoned the centre ground of public service reform to the Conservative Party".George Osborne claimed Gordon Brown, the next prime minister, had "abandoned the centre ground of public service reform to the Conservative Party".
The Tories would therefore have "a great opportunity to improve life for the many, not the few", he added.The Tories would therefore have "a great opportunity to improve life for the many, not the few", he added.
Mr Blair has called for personalised services which allow people to choose schools and hospitals.Mr Blair has called for personalised services which allow people to choose schools and hospitals.
Mr Osborne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Blair's ideas on choice were right, but said he had been wrong to impose them from Whitehall.Mr Osborne told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that Mr Blair's ideas on choice were right, but said he had been wrong to impose them from Whitehall.
He said: "I'm saying work with the public service professionals, work with teachers, work with doctors to give them much greater power over their local services and to give the users of these services... the choice that is the driver of improvement in every other walk of life and can be the driver of improvement in public services.He said: "I'm saying work with the public service professionals, work with teachers, work with doctors to give them much greater power over their local services and to give the users of these services... the choice that is the driver of improvement in every other walk of life and can be the driver of improvement in public services.
"The fact that Gordon Brown has abandoned the centre ground of public service reform to the Conservative Party is a great opportunity for us to improve life... for the many not the few.""The fact that Gordon Brown has abandoned the centre ground of public service reform to the Conservative Party is a great opportunity for us to improve life... for the many not the few."
'Growing consensus''Growing consensus'
In a speech later to the Policy Exchange think tank, Mr Osborne said that while the Tories and Mr Blair agreed on "the essentials of the way forward", Mr Brown, due to take over by the end of June, was not part of the "growing consensus".In a speech later to the Policy Exchange think tank, Mr Osborne said that while the Tories and Mr Blair agreed on "the essentials of the way forward", Mr Brown, due to take over by the end of June, was not part of the "growing consensus".
He said the deputy leadership debates had shown that Labour was poised to move to the left, abandoning the centre ground.He said the deputy leadership debates had shown that Labour was poised to move to the left, abandoning the centre ground.
The roadblocks to reform are being put into place George Osborne The roadblocks to reform are being put into place George Osborne class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6705263.stm">In full: Osborne speech
"The people around Gordon Brown are now also making the case against choice and diversity - and challenging the key elements of the Blair settlement," he said in his speech."The people around Gordon Brown are now also making the case against choice and diversity - and challenging the key elements of the Blair settlement," he said in his speech.
"Trust schools abandoned; private sector input rejected; choice - the very heart of reform - now dismissed as a 'fetish' and an 'obsession' by those closest to the next prime minister."Trust schools abandoned; private sector input rejected; choice - the very heart of reform - now dismissed as a 'fetish' and an 'obsession' by those closest to the next prime minister.
"The roadblocks to reform are being put into place.""The roadblocks to reform are being put into place."
The Tories say public services should become less "top-down", with more decisions made locally.The Tories say public services should become less "top-down", with more decisions made locally.
Mr Osborne said they would place "no limit" on the number of academies that could be created and would let parents take their child and their funding to a new school if they were not happy with performance.Mr Osborne said they would place "no limit" on the number of academies that could be created and would let parents take their child and their funding to a new school if they were not happy with performance.
In healthcare, budgets should be devolved to GPs and patients, rather than "large bureaucracies like primary care trusts", he said.In healthcare, budgets should be devolved to GPs and patients, rather than "large bureaucracies like primary care trusts", he said.
And disabled people would be given their own cash allocations, a personalised budget, to give them control over how the money is spent.And disabled people would be given their own cash allocations, a personalised budget, to give them control over how the money is spent.
Mr Brown has said that personalised services are the next stage of improving public services, has backed academy schools and rejected any suggestion that he would lead the Labour Party off the political centre ground.Mr Brown has said that personalised services are the next stage of improving public services, has backed academy schools and rejected any suggestion that he would lead the Labour Party off the political centre ground.