The status quo is not an option (From Times Series)

The status quo is not an option

5:43pm Wednesday 17th December 2008 in

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“The status quo is not an option,” announced everyone’s favourite Lord, Peter Mandelson, last night as he defended the impending privatisation of Royal Mail to Jon Snow.

Now where have we heard that before?

That exact expression has quickly become the mantra of advocates of the Future Shape of the Council programme, including the leader of the council, councillor Mike Freer.

When business minister, Pat McFadden introduced the Royal Mail proposals to the House of Commons, former Tory minister Edward Leigh welcomed him to the “Thatcherite wing of New Labour.”

If we believe what the unions are saying about the future shape of the council, does that place Barnet’s Tories on the Thatcherite wing of New Labour or the New Labour wing of the Cameroons?

Either way, it seems there are few people left in parliament to present any concerted defence of public services against privatisation.

Whichever side of the fence you fall, that surely represents a depressing homogenisation of the political establishment.