Sunday 6 July 2014

Outside In: Blue Labour and Education

Michael Merrick has blogged his superb paper, one of the best on education that I have heard or read in a very long time. The whole conference was, as it always is, outstanding.

A write-up will appear here once I have had some sleep, since I have had a very busy weekend with one thing and another in and around Nottingham, plus the travelling. I heartily recommend the Vic in Beeston, and Yiannis in Sherwood.

9 comments:

  1. What a load of twaddle.

    Its very American-lots of flowery language and no substance.

    When he finally gets to the point about what schools policy he is actually proposing (in his last paragraph) he offers no practical suggestions at all.

    Other than "rootedness and love" and something about "virtue" and "flourishing".

    I'll be more British and get to the point. Ill sum up what needs to happen in three words.

    Selection by ability.

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    1. Of course it is beyond you. It is not aimed at you, duckie. As your last line proves. You cannot even see the irony.

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  2. Even Phillip Blond says that you anticipated his work. Maurice says it, they all do. You are the granddaddy, the godfather of Postliberalism. Good to see you visiting your other university.

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    1. Yes, I do manage to turn up to the Centre once each year, for this. I would go more if I could, though. I really rather like Nottingham.

      Every year, I meet people who are faintly awestruck at meeting me, even though I had expected it to work the other way. I can never get used to it.

      I shan't name-drop, but one of this year's "I've wanted to meet you for many years" was ... well, gosh!

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    2. Big name, big deal commentators from across the spectrum come back to London from Durham and the first thing they say is that they have finally met David Lindsay. I have heard one of the biggest names on the Right and one of the biggest names on the Left do that. You almost never come here, I realise you are very busy and quite ill, so you don't know. But it's true.

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  3. As you know, "Bring Back Grammar Schools" is a mainstay of call-and-response revivalist Kippery. It is untroubled by facts and, as you see here, angrily baffled by philosophy.

    It would awe me to meet you in person, I have to say. You have charmingly little idea how legendary you are. But you are, around the world.

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    1. Ever since Thatcher created an entirely new party, now in two rival parts, the Right has hated ideas, and even language above the kind of grunting level that you describe. All their own philosophers and poets are inaccessible to them now, they would bay down the suggestion of them like hyenas. The Postliberal Left of Mr. Lindsay, Blue Labour and so on is the only place where they are still read and used, yet they were Tories! No wonder Phillip is the only Red Tory and even he privately acknowledges his debt to the great Mr. L. while turning up to speak at Blue Labour events because no one else would give him a hearing.

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  4. Nobody has done more than you on the story of Harman and all that lot and the PIE. Got you banned from several We Own The Blogosphere sites, but you were right all along. Makes me wonder why Damian Thompson sacked you. But it is set out in full in one of your books, commended by two Peers and several Professors. One of those Peers being Mr. Blue Labour and one of those Professors being the host of this conference.

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