Choice is an overused word these days (at least in political circles). Every politician claims he or she is for it. They claim we should be able to choose where we are treated and where our children are educated. Labour and the Tories try to ‘out-choice’ each other. I am sceptical.
Choice reduces everything to the level of the supermarket. Being a consumer of public services becomes akin to visiting a supermarket. You can choose to visit Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys etc. So you should be able to choose the hospital for treatment or the school your children should attend. I am unconvinced by this argument. Public services are not supermarkets. Emphasis should be on closing the gap between the worst and the best, by raising the standards of the worst, rather then allowing these to deteriorate while the best hospitals and schools thrive. The choice philosophy entrenches the differences. I rather have a top-notch hospital or school near where I live. The choice of driving (and therefore perhaps colliding with the policy that encourages us to reduce reliance on the car) my kids to a school on the other side of town is hardly a choice.
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