Stary writing

teachers as determined as we are to give every child a chance to succeed, last week, Britain had the best primary school results it has ever seen. That is what I call: delivering on the fundamentals. And I could go on and give a list of all the other promises kept and change delivered. Over a million children out of poverty. This government leading the way on the environment at Kyoto. Devolution to the people of Scotland, Wales and London. Progress in Northern Ireland. Free eye tests for pensioners. Higher benefits for disabled children. 150,000 lone parents into work. Lowest business taxes. Record rises in child benefit. I could go on and on. Because we should be proud of our record. Not self-satisfied. Never complacent. But plain proud because the firm foundations we promised to lay are in place. But this is not a time for lists. But for setting out the big choices facing Britain and for dialogue. I’m the prime minister that’s supposed to be the great reader of public opinion. After the events of two weeks ago, it’s no wonder the government has taken a knock. It happened on my watch and I take responsibility. So: what do we make of it? Three years ago, Britain was desperate to get the Tories out. The people liked the look of us. We were a breath of fresh air. New faces, new ideas, new policies. In some areas we’ve exceeded expectations. Let us be honest, a few people doubted the economy would be stronger under Labour. But it is. They like the 1m new jobs. They believe we are trying to make progress on schools and hospitals. But for many families life’s still a struggle. It’s tough, balancing work and family. Jobs can be insecure. There’s the mortgage to pay; the holiday to save for. Inflation may be lower but the kids’ trainers don’t get any cheaper. Then, people hear the 20 second clip on the news. They see the ding-dong at prime minister’s questions.