A zeal for reform is what Labour is missing

Chris Patten appears on the last ever edition of Straight Talk with Andrew Neil in the early hours of Saturday. The coalition is Patten’s type of politics: socially liberal and economically neoliberal. He describes the government’s frenzy of legislation as ‘breathless’, but accepts that is understandable as it attempts to introduce a zealous reform agenda at the start of its term.

Patten observes the coalition recognising that the fiscal overspend invites radical public service reform; indeed, requires it. He said:  

‘What I think is admirable is that some ministers – Kenneth Clarke for example, Vince Cable for example – have made it plain that they don’t just see public spending contraction, necessary as it is, determining the priorities for the next few years. They think this is a time when we have to reorganise public services and in the process probably spend less money, and concentrate much more on outputs than inputs.’