What’s the right boundary between state and private schools?

I’m pleased to see my 2010 article on the issue has now got free access at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13619462.2010.518413.

For background on the piece, see http://nickhillman.co.uk/2010/10/16/harold-wilson-anthony-crosland-and-public-schools/.

My new article on the Fleming report of 1944 has just been published by the History of Education, a peer-reviewed academic journal.

The Fleming report aimed at a closer relationship between independent boarding schools and the state by recommending state-funded boarding bursaries.

My article is, I think, the first to show that the prime mover behind the modest scheme of county scholarships that was set up was the Labour Minister of Education, Ellen Wilkinson – not, as is often supposed, the Conservative RAB Butler.

The experiment limped on for decades after her death but no other politician ever gave it a similar push. So there is an interesting contrast between ‘Red Ellen’, who is generally regarded as having been on the left of the Labour Party, and New Labour, which abolished assisted places in independent day schools.

My article can be accessed (at a cost to those without institutional log ins) here. The abstract is below.

‘This paper assesses the origins, conclusions and consequences of the Fleming Committee, which considered the relationship between Britain’s leading independentD boarding schools and the state. In 1944, the committee recommendded one-quarter of the places at these schools should be assigned to a national bursary scheme for children who might benefit from boarding. The author emphasises the role that Ellen Wilkinson played in implementing a Fleming-style scheme in the early years of the Attlee Government. Despite promises to the contrary, the Conservative Government that was elected in 1951 did not expand the scheme, which lingered on in a desultory form. Failure stemmed from a lack of political will, which was reinforced by a shortage of public finance, inconsistent support from independent boarding schools and local education authorities and problems over the selection of pupils.’

Anyone interested in this general topic might also be interested in another article of mine on the Public Schools Commission, as this new piece is a prequel to it, as well as a recent BBC Radio 4 programme.

Readers interested in higher education might also be interested to know that it was the same Section of the 1944 Education Act that enabled county scholarships at public schools that enabled local education authorities to pay higher education awards for maintenance and tuition fees.

I spent a fantastic day campaigning in Cambridge today for the local elections. Good weather always seems to bring out the best in political campaigners and voters, and it was such a beautiful day – much hotter than during my holiday on the Costa del Sol last week!

I was campaigning for Tim Haire and Edward Turnham, the Conservative candidates in Cherry Hinton. They have been fighting an excellent campaign focussing on the issues people care about, such as public transport, council tax and bringing some balance back to the (Lib Dem-dominated) city council. And, specific to this ward, they have also been campaigning to have the beautiful but worn Cherry Hinton sign repainted. I have a particular fondness for this bit of Cambridge, not least because of the scale of support I got there in the general election last May, and it was lovely to meet so many people who had voted for me then and be able to thank them.

On the doorstep, many important national issues came up, particularly the size of the deficit, but what struck me most was how receptive the voters were to the idea that Cherry Hinton would benefit from more balanced representation rather than being represented only by Labour councillors. One sitting Labour councillor recently admitted Cambridge would benefit from Conservative representation and, if the voters I met today were typical, that could well be achieved on May 5th. I hope it will.

I also caught up with Andrew Bower, our candidate in Coleridge ward, who was also out campaigning. Andy is deeply committed to this bit of Cambridge, as anyone who has seen him in action at Area Committee meetings, grilling the sitting councillors, knows. He is the sort of candidate that deserves to win broad support, including from people who don’t normally vote Conservative, because he is so committed to securing a better deal for local residents and scrutinising what the council is up to. I’ll be back out next weekend trying to help ensure that this year is a winning one for him.

If you have a few hours to spare, do come and join the campaign. The Cambridge Conservatives’ website has contact details and further information on how to get involved, along with information on all the Conservative local election candidates in Cambridge.

Three frustrating local transport issues have persuaded me to add a new blog post. Apologies if the final one appears a bit parochial to those outside east Cambridge.

1. The new road layout by Addenbrooke’s

The new road layout between the M11 roundabout and the area of the Trumpington Park and Ride and the new Addenbrooke’s road is very confusing. For example, there are now three lanes at one point, rather than the previous two, but the filtering where this happens does not work well and I am not convinced it is completely safe. I hope it will be resolved soon.

Like most politicos in Cambridge, I’ve had my run-ins with local blogger Richard Taylor. (He recently insinuated online that I had accepted a satellite telephone from a private company and has now refused to apologise even though it is 100% false, and he is currently taking the same absurd line as our local MP by implying that Cambridge University can remain world-class without graduates contributing to the cost…). I guess he is so prolific that his quality control is sometimes awry! But he does get a lot right and he has some interesting things to say about the Addenbrooke’s get-fined-to-drive road on his website, which I recommend.

2. Cambridge Station taxi rank

Rowan Pelling in last week’s Telegraph complained about ‘people who queue the wrong way, even when there’s a sign telling them exactly how to do it. At Cambridge station, people waiting for cabs routinely ignore such directions and meander across the station’s entrance like a herd of grazing bison.’

I agree that the taxi rank at Cambridge Station is nearly as badly organised as the bike parking there, though I don’t blame those in the rank (nor the taxi drivers who make the best of their poor hand), as the whole arrangements are so chaotic. Our MP is proud of the fact that he does not own a car, which perhaps explains his ridiculous opposition to the proposed improvements to the dangerous A14, but I hope he will focus on improving the facilities at the station for the benefit of pedestrians and cyclists.

3. Residents versus pay-and-display parking

Drivers around Riverside can find it impossible to find a residents bay, whereas no one ever seems to park in the pay-and-display spaces that are lined up vertically outside the newer homes on River Lane – see the photos, which were taken on a Sunday but are absolutely typical. I’m not sure why they are so little used, though it may be because there are some other pay-and-display spaces on River Lane (which are slightly more used) and there is of course lots of free parking for people shopping locally, as in the large Tescos a bit further along Newmarket Road. So it would make life much easier for local residents if the number of pay-and-display places could be reduced and the number of bays for residents could be increased, or if residents with permits were also allowed to park in the pay-and-display spots.

I know the local Green Party councillors would, quite rightly, want to encourage other forms of transport too and so it might not be a bad idea to convert a small portion of the space to some bike stands as well, though I admit I don’t know how strong demand is for that. (On another transport issue, I am delighted that one of our hard-working Green Party councillor, Margaret Wright, is now campaigning to improve the new pedestrian and cyclist crossing outside the newsagents on Newmarket Road. As someone who regularly cycles across the road there, I have always thought this new crossing has not lived up to the promises that were made and I am glad the Green Party have belated recognised this – they were originally big advocates of the revamped crossing.)

In the past, I wouldn’t have minded too much about any of these issues but it’s amazing how much having a child and commuting daily to London changes one’s priorities! A wise man once said a Conservative is a libertarian with children…

I am a resident of Abbey ward in Cambridge (and my wife was the Conservative candidate for the ward at the last local elections).

A big local issue for our part of Cambridge at the moment is the revised proposal for a new Travelodge hotel on the corner of Newmarket Road and Coldhams Lane. It is said that local residents’ associations are opposed to the plans. (I’ve not actually checked this myself but the local press says it is so and I attended my own residents’ association meeting some months ago when it was clear there was very substantial opposition to the original proposals.)

However, I am more in favour of the idea, especially in its revised form. I recognise the issue raises strong opinions and that there are good arguments on both sides but my position is as outlined in the letter below (which was published in a slightly abridged form in the Cambridge News earlier this week).

Dear Sir,

As someone who lives just around the corner, I am pleased that Travelodge have submitted an improved application to build a hotel on Newmarket Road.

Cambridge is desperately short of reasonably-priced hotel rooms given that our local economy relies on business people, tourists and students’ parents coming here.

The proposed site is currently an eyesore, so it is irrational to claim the local area would be damaged by the construction of a brand new hotel.

Most importantly, the building and opening of the hotel would bring much needed jobs to the area at a time when the economy is still recovering.

For the avoidance of doubt, I have no link to Travelodge. Indeed the last time I stayed in one of their hotels, the service was far from perfect – they gave me a room in which someone was already asleep!

As a local resident, I am pleased when major international businesses want to invest in our great city. Not all proposed developments are welcome, but we should judge this one on its merits rather than automatically opposing the whole concept.

Yours sincerely,
Nick Hillman

In recent weeks, Marks and Spencer’s lorries have been causing chaos during the morning rush hour at Cambridge Station. Their lorries were arriving at the busiest time in the morning and then reversing into a small space outside the station. This blocked the taxi rank, stopped cars entering and exiting the car park and caused problems for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as causing safety concerns.

After a campaign led by Nick Hillman, the Conservatives’ general election candidate in Cambridge, Marks and Spencer have now agreed to alter their delivery and collection arrangements. The full story is covered in full on the website of our excellent local radio station STAR 107 here: http://www.star107.co.uk/news/review.php?article=294002.

Nick Hillman said:

“Until now, Marks and Spencer’s lorries have been causing havoc at Cambridge Station during the morning rush hour. The problem was not just an inconvenience. There was a real risk of an accident involving the thousands of schoolchildren who arrive each day.

“It’s fantastic news that Marks and Spencer have acted so quickly after I raised my concerns. It’s no wonder they are such a successful company if they always respond to complaints so quickly.

“I just wish National Express were equally responsive on the terrible bicycle facilities at the station. Cambridge Conservatives will continue campaigning for other sorely needed improvements at the station.”

I have written a lengthy article looking at the attempt of the Labour Governments of 1964-70 to integrate Britain’s leading independent schools with the state-financed school system.

The piece is published in a peer-reviewed history journal, and is thus behind a paywall, but it can be accessed here: ‘The Public Schools Commission: “Impractical, Expensive and Harmful to Children”?’

I have cut-and-pasted the title, abstract and key words below. Do contact me if you are interested in the topic or have any thoughts on my conclusions.

(Apart from a few small edits, this article was written before the general election and before I started work as a Special Adviser. Academic journals tends to have quite long lead-in times because of the peer-review process.)

The Public Schools Commission: ‘Impractical, Expensive and Harmful to Children’?

Author: Nicholas Hillman

Abstract

In the mid-1960s, the Labour government established a Commission to devise the best way of integrating Britain’s elite independent schools with the state-financed school system. Despite—and because of—the left’s scepticism of private education, the Commission faced enormous obstacles and their solution of state-subsidised boarding places was seen as unworkable, unaffordable and unpopular. Government papers help to explain the various reasons why the Commission’s proposals were not implemented: in particular, the public schools were regarded as a low spending priority. The lack of reform is key to understanding the continuing importance of independent schools in the UK.

Keywords: Harold Wilson; Anthony Crosland; Margaret Thatcher; Public Schools; State Education

I was genuinely sad when Chris Howell chose to stand down as one of our city’s councillors in order to focus on his career (though I fully understand his decision).

Not only does Chris have a huge amount of experience, but he was also an extremely committed councillor. Both the people of Coleridge and the rest of us from elsewhere in Cambridge owe him a debt for raising key issues on the city council, such as: the shortage of family homes; the problems with the proposed Cambridge congestion charge (which even now is supported by some Lib Dems); and unnecessary hikes in Council Tax.

But, while I regret Chris’s resignation, I am delighted that local Conservatives have selected such a strong candidate for the Coleridge by-election on Thursday, 4th November 2010. Andy Bower knows Coleridge like the back of his hand and he is 100% committed to serving local residents and putting a Conservative voice back on the council. I have been out canvassing with him and his past work is reflected in excellent name recognition where it counts – on the doorstep.

On pretty much any indicator you choose, Conservatives are the second biggest party in Cambridge. But, because our vote is spread evenly across the city, we are massively under-represented on the city council. It would strengthen local democracy so much if Andy’s vibrant campaign is successful. Although Cambridge Lib Dems back a new style of politics in theory, they are happy to run the local council on their own – and in a rather unconsultative way – in practice, and this needs challenging.

Labour have recently selected a student as their candidate (though he seems to be the party’s second choice as a woman was initially chosen according to some Tweets that have now mysteriously disappeared). The Labour candidate has pledged to fight a clean campaign and I hope he does – though I am not too hopeful as he recently described our city’s MP as an ‘oleaginous smug traitor’ and labelled him ‘Judas Huppert’ in a blog post. Our MP should be critically assessed – as in this recent article of mine – but that is below the belt.

So, if you live in Coleridge and think – as I do – that the city council would be strengthened by the addition of a Conservative voice to speak up for local residents, local public services and local businesses, please make sure you vote Andy Bower on 4th November.

I have avoided blogging recently as I am limited in what I am allowed to do as a Special Adviser for the coalition Government. However, I am allowed to comment on local politics and I wanted to draw readers’ attention to the campaigning going on in the East Chesterton ward of Cambridge. There is a County Council by-election on there after a Lib Dem councillor has chosen to resign a long way short of term.

This could be great news for the people of East Chesterton as we Conservatives have an experienced, genial and determined candidate in Matt Bradney. He runs his own local business. He is an expert on transport. He has been a councillor before. He would be a real asset to local residents.

I live just over the river from East Chesterton and have been out campaigning with Matt many times. It would make a real difference to local residents – and indeed to the whole of Cambridge – if Matt were to win as he would be the only voice for the city in the heart of the Conservative-run council.

Even if you don’t usually vote Conservative, please consider doing so this time on the strength of our candidate, on our need for a city voice in the ruling group of the council and in order to send a message to those local politicians who have not taken East Chesterton seriously in the past.

Oh, and check out Matt’s campaign blog at: http://eastchesterton.blogspot.com. If you would like to help out, you can contact Matt there.

Thanks for listening.