Two major policy initiatives that Labour are likely to take into the next General Election were announced yesterday. 

The Prime Minister put his weight behind an NHS restructuring that would, amongst other things, see the closure of many A&E units. All papers provide extensive coverage (though it has been knocked off the front pages generally by speculation over the Pre Budget Report).  That the Telegraph is so lukewarm signals that the Government have a long way to go to win this argument:

"...the common-sense objection to this plan remains: the most sophisticated treatments will be of little use to a patient who has died before he arrives at hospital."

The Telegraph

Many people's experiences of A&Es - especially if they attend at the most critical times - are far from perfect.  But the sense of reassurance that people gain from being within striking distance of their local A&E will be more of a critical factor in the debate than the promises of superior care that accompany them.

Education is the other area that policy proposals now look set to become election pledges in the future.  The proposals contained in Lord Leitch's review of skills suggests, again amongst other things, that we should gradually raise the period of being in compulsory education or training to 18.  (See The Guardian, The Telegraph or The Times)

As this is one of Gordon Brown's own commissioned reports this will probably have more legs than the Tomlinson Report - which covered some of the same ground and was quickly dumped.

"Education for all till 18" from one side sounds like almost as interesting election slogan as "Save our A&E."

The Telegraph

Also in today's news

• Vince Cable develops the idea of independence for our financial institutions further in an article in The Financial Times.
  
• The Indepdendent reports that sales of 4x4s have fallen for the first time for 10 years both here and in the US - a reaction to policy or public opinion?