"Command and control" status quo

And more from the UK. The Adam Smith blog reports on Gordon Brown's first major speech;

Gordon Brown made his first conference speech as Prime Minister yesterday. It lasted one hour and three minutes, and contained virtually nothing new. In fact, it was a masterclass in using lots of words to say very little. Early in the speech Brown said New Labour was "not just occupying, but expanding and shaping the centre ground" of British politics. Can anyone explain what that means?

Perhaps I'm being a little harsh. He did promise to give 300,000 children one-to-one help in English and maths (not personally, of course), and he said 300,000 university students would get full grants. Children will play five hours of sport per week and £670m will be stolen from dormant bank accounts to pay for youth centres. Paid maternity leave will be extended. 240,000 new houses will be built every year, and ten new Eco-towns will be constructed. And on, and on, and on...

What's clear from the speech is that Brown is interested only in top-down micromanagement and an ever-expanding central government. Structural reform didn't even get a look in. How will Brown deliver the 'personalised' NHS he promises? By setting new government targets, of course.

In short, it looks like command and control politics is here to stay. More money and more regulation will, it seems, continue to be the answer to every problem.