And I find it interesting that Standard and Poor’s have raised concerns after June’s budget. I fail to see how these cuts can help the recovery and thus help cut the deficit. This budget is bad for growth, bad for jobs, and bad for the deficit.

On the issue of the NHS, I support the idea of getting rid of GP boundries, and more local authority involvement, but I fail to see how this is really democratizing the NHS. It’s OK talking about giving patients more power, but if you get rid of things like the maximum 4-hour waiting time what will patients be able to judge on? And I am very concerned about the involvement of the private sector. As the unions say, this is privatization by the back door.

I will read with interest LFF’s analysis of it.

Elsewhere, I think Cameron’s comments about wanting troups out by 2015 are at best unwise. I don’t want our troups in Afghanistan longer than they need to, but the time to withdraw must be right.

And I think the proposals on murder reform are a disgrace. Murder is murder. They seem to be coppying the idea of first and second degree murder from the states. I think judges already have a reasonable amount of discression as it is; although the sentence for murder is life, judges can set a minimum tarrif someone must serve before being considered for parole.

Finally, I see that in the Guardian today 1 parent is saying what I am saying on BSF and accademies:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jul/13/michael-gove-school-buildings-academies

I was slightly surprised that Ed Balls didn’t quote from Simon Hughes during education questions yesterday.