时间：2006年2月8日下午
地点：英国议会下院
时段：Prime Minister’s Questions
事件：托尼·布莱尔辩论戴维·卡梅伦教育改革
Mr. Cameron: The Prime Minister has said that every time he introduced a reform, he wished he had gone further. Why is it that on the biggest reform of this Parliament—education—he is going backwards?
The Prime Minister: I am surprised that the right hon. Gentleman says that. A couple of weeks ago he asked me whether I would undertake categorically to ensure that schools had the freedom to own their buildings, employ their own staff and develop their own culture. They will have those powers, and they will be in the education Bill. I thought that he now agreed with me that we do not want to return to selection.
Mr. Cameron: I love it. One minute we have big concessions to win over Back Benchers; the next minute we have no changes at all. Instead of flip-flopping, why cannot the right hon. Gentleman get out and sell the reforms? [Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker: Order. The Leader of the Opposition.
Mr. Cameron: Whatever happened to the right hon. Gentleman leading his party, not following it? Whatever happened to no reverse gear? Whatever happened to the historic turning point? If he keeps turning, it is not going to be very historic. Given that the right hon. Gentleman has Opposition support, will he make it clear: no more concessions?
The Prime Minister: I see that the right hon. Gentleman has raised the issue of flip-flopping.
I have with me a leaflet that has just been put out in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election with a letter from one David Cameron. It says:
"I'm a liberal Conservative."
It also says:
"Issues that once divided Conservatives from Liberal Democrats are now issues where we both agree"—
like Iraq.
Is that the same man who two weeks ago told The Daily Telegraph:
"I am, and always have been, a Conservative to the core of my being"?
One week ago, he was the heir to new Labour; today he is a Liberal Conservative. No wonder he is against identity cards.
Hon. Members: More!
Mr. Cameron: I love it—[Interruption.]
Mr. Speaker: Order.
Mr. Cameron: I love getting a lecture in consistency from a Prime Minister who spent all week in reverse gear. Perhaps he could have a word with the Chancellor, who has just endorsed a book that says Iraq was an unjust war. Is it not time that the Prime Minister faced down the rebels and did the right thing for teachers, parents and pupils? Why is he trying to appease those who do not want reform when he could be working with those who want it?
The Prime Minister: I do not know about me facing anything down, but it is about time that the right hon. Gentleman faced the same way for more than a day at a time. The fact of the matter is that we will have those freedoms in schools but, yes, we will ensure that they cannot go back to academic selection. I thought that we both agreed on that. I hope that he will do that now, as well as reversing the following Conservative policies: the patient’s passport; the foundation hospitals; the asylum quotas; section 28; the licensing laws—does he remember those?—and opposition to antisocial behaviour.
I hope that in respect of all those, and more, he will reverse the Conservative position, but in particular tell us now how much he regrets voting against the extra investment for schools and hospitals. Once he has completed those U-turns, we will know where he stands—but he will not stand with any credibility anywhere. [Interruption].
