What a Difference a Day Makes!

Many of us woke up yesterday morning with a feeling of dread, fearing that Gordon Brown's pseudo-resignation had stitched up the Conservatives by removing an obstacle to a Labour/Liberal Democrat deal and thus allowing the two losing parties to form a coalition government.   With an astonishing speed, only a few hours later the Lab/LibDem talks had collapsed, Gordon Brown had really resigned and David Cameron was Prime Minister.

Nothing in Brown's premiership became him like the leaving it.   He resigned with dignity, even though it was regrettably late.   The country has a Conservative government again at last and a profound relief is the prevailing feeling.   There may be details which are not ideal, and Cameron has a huge task ahead of him, to put right the terrible damage of 13 years of Labour rule, but the omens are good, the will is there, and if the Tories really can work with the LibDems, great things can be achieved.

I am, however, very sorry that Michael Gove is not to have the Education brief.   His ideas for state-funded independent schools are excellent and deserve to be implemented.   This seems to me to be an opportunity sadly missed.