Turn, Mr Prescott ...

John Prescott has had an about-turn on the Education White Paper. He says he has been given assurances over his concerns on selection and local authority control. If so, this must mean that the White Paper has been severely watered down. We cannot be sure until we see the Bill, but if the reforms are now being enthusiastically embraced by Prescott, it is fairly certain that Tony Blair has made a compromise too far. This would be a great pity, and a missed opportunity. Either that or Tony Blair is deceiving Prescott, and the reforms are still intact. I would prefer the latter, as I would be uneasy about any educational reforms that had the whole-hearted backing of Prescott and Old Labour.