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| There has always been a gulf between how the government of the day is viewed in Westminster and how it is viewed outside. Nowhere is that chasm more clearly demonstrated than in the case of education secretary Michael Gove. Inside Westminster he is hailed as a brave reformer with a Thatcherite zeal for change. Countless columns have been penned praising him as a rare shining light in the Conservative party, set to go right to the top. Outside Westminster, the view is very different. Among teachers, Gove is ridiculed and reviled as a kind of mutant cross between Pob and the Devil. The reason for this is not only his policies, which are arguably not very different to his predecessors', but his attitude. Rather than try to bring the teaching profession along with him, Gove has taken a deliberately antagonistic approach. Rather than try to win his opponents over, he has simply labeled them "the blob". Rarely in British politics has a politician so spectacularly failed to hide his disdain for a profession he is supposed to work with. Teachers have repaid the compliment, never failing to hide their own disdain for a man many of them see as a pig-headed trouble maker determined not to listen to evidence. This break-down in relations is now being felt well outside the profession. A poll released this week found that public satisfaction with Gove has reached new lows with almost two-thirds saying he is doing a bad job as education secretary. Even Conservative supporters have turned against Gove with 40% of their voters from the last election now saying he is doing badly. This matters in both practical and political terms. It matters in practical terms because it makes it much more difficult for the government to get its school reforms through. And it matters in political terms because there are now thousands of teachers and their families who may never vote for the Conservative party again. 'So what?' you may say. Surely teachers are just a bunch of left-wing agitators anyway? Well not quite. In fact, at the last general election, the Conservative party actually held a small opinion poll lead among teachers. Four years later, Gove has turned that lead into a 40% deficit. If the Tories were cruising to victory, then none of this would matter, but as the result of the Wythenshawe by-election proved this week, that is very far from the case. In order to win a majority next year, the Tories need to both hold on to their voters from 2010 and win over a whole load of extra voters from the centre. With little more than a year to go until the general election, they are still failing to do either. No, Osborne, no. The other area where opinion in Westminster has diverged from the rest of the UK this week is in the Scottish independence debate. The decision to send George Osborne to take on Alex Salmond was so wrong-headed that it almost suggested the Conservatives were actually trying to lose the independence referendum. In politics, the messenger is often far more important than the message and Osborne was exactly the wrong messenger to have sent. Scottish voters do not like to be lectured and they certainly do not like to be lectured by one of the least popular English politicians in the country. All the polls so far have shown that the 'no' campaign are on course to win the independence referendum, but if that changes, Alex Salmond will have Osborne in large part to thank. Washed out The biggest story of the week has undoubtedly been the floods. But I do wonder whether we've gotten them all a bit out of proportion? While the floods have undoubtedly been tragic events for all those affected, I do wonder whether we would have seen quite so much blanket press coverage and quite such a panicked reaction from the government, if these floods had taken place in Leeds, rather than say the Thames Valley. Best of NewsHumdrum Ukip performance sees Labour cruise to by-election victory Ukip's ability to threaten Labour seats in the north appeared to have been over-hyped this morning, after the party polled a distant second in the Wythenshawe and Sale East byelection Tory MPs advised how to avoid paying minimum wage The Conservative Party is accused of hypocrisy after backing plans to raise the minimum wage while sending out advice to its MPs on how to avoid paying it. Michael Gove's plans for longer school days rejected Michael Gove's plans to cut school holidays and extend school days suffer a "huge blow" after a body appointed to assess the proposals rejects them. No time for climate sceptics: Paterson faces resignation call as UK braces for more storms Environment secretary faces calls for his resignation, as Green campaigners warn that a climate change sceptic should not be in post during extreme weather events The Osborne gambit: Independent Scotland could not keep the pound George Osborne takes an extraordinary risk in the battle to preserve the union today, with a keynote speech warning that an independent Scotland would not be able to keep the pound Union apologises for censoring atheist 'Spaghetti Monster' poster London Southbank University student union has unreservedly apologised after staff censored an atheist society's 'Flying Spaghetti Monster' poster. Tristram Hunt mocked for crossing picket line to deliver lecture on Marx Labour's shadow education secretary will today deliver a speech on "character" after coming under savage attack for crossing a picket line to deliver a lecture on Marx. Farage joins the campaign for drug reform Nigel Farage expresses his support for drug law reform today, as he throws his weight behind Nick Clegg's calls for a royal commission King Arthur sets up his own political party The self-described reincarnation of King Arthur sets up his own political party, with an aim of fielding dozens of political candidates in the 2015 general election MPs vote overwhelmingly to ban smoking in cars with children MPs vote overwhelmingly to ban smoking in cars with children, with advocates for the change securing a majority of 269 votes in favour Clegg makes drug reform mainstream Nick Clegg takes his demand for reform of Britain's drug laws into the political mainstream, with a newspaper article in which he dares the Conservatives to support him Best of Comment and AnalysisBlog: How you can help Mark Harper's cleaner Isabella Acevado is a forgotten victim of a minor political scandal. But we can show she is more than just "an illegal". Analysis: Osborne's gamble could push undecided voters to vote 'no' A snap verdict on George Osborne's high-stakes currency gambit from Scottish politics expert David Torrance Are we witnessing the tipping point in the drug debate? Drug law reformers have never had it so good Do Cameron and Osborne really want Scotland to stay in the UK? Right now they're doing everything in their power to encourage Scots to leave. Comment: It's time for the environment secretary to fall on his sword We can't have a climate change sceptic as environment secretary while Britain faces a growing climate crisis. PMQs verdict: Cameron's amateur mistake hands Miliband another victory The prime minister's promise of money being 'no object' allows Miliband to tease apart his flooding defences Flooding: whatever happened to 'keep calm and carry on'? There is something deeply un-British about our politicians' response to the floods. Comment: This anti-immigrant hysteria means I won't study here anymore Returning to the UK feels like going back to an abusive boyfriend Comment: The abysmal behaviour of councillors tarnishes local politics Wasted town council meetings and a bullying, partisan culture are ruining local democracy. Comment: Harper's resignation puts us in dangerous moral territory Mark Harper's departure sets a dangerous precedent which ushers in a poisonous and authoritarian political climate The week on the interwebThe Political Week Online: Scotland, sex and spaghetti George Osborne offers a loving, romantic plea to the people of Scotland. Frustrated researchers analyse the politics of penis size. And people get offended by spaghetti. | Voice reacts angrily to Michael Gove's "deprofessionalising"Government and STRB deprofessionalising teachers and early years professionals. Number of animals rescued by RSPCA from floods doubles in just three daysThe RSPCA has released the latest rescue figures for flood stricken Britain - with almost 400 animals saved since Monday. International summit on illegal trade begins in LondonStrong measures sought to protect elephants, rhinos, tigers and other threatened species from poaching. Celebrating 9 years of hunt ban with facts and mythsCharities mark success of Hunting Act most successful piece of wild animal legislation. Extra tax support from HMRC welcome - but difficulties must be resolvedLITRG welcomes new HMRC service for taxpayers who need extra support but concerns remain. Boeing, Nok Air Announce Commitment to Order 737 MAXs, Next-Generation 737sEfficiency of 737 supports Nok Air’s low-cost model. BSA comments on the Banking Standards Review consultationBSA welcomes the Banking Standards Review consultation paper from Sir Richard Lambert and will be responding. |
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