Amol Rajan: Even Corbynites might have to accept that Michael Gove is talking sense

'Gove grappled with the least sexy subject in politics: prison reform'
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Amol Rajan8 October 2015
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Ideology is an enemy of reason and truth but much of what happens in politics — for good and for bad — originates with it. Conservatives are meant to eschew ideology, thinking it belongs to a domain of theory and nonsense far removed from the practical wisdom and felt experience that is the best guide to true knowledge. Their approach to politics mobilises a particular disposition, a spirit or attitude, that wishes to stand athwart history, yelling “Stop!”

And yet to the extent that ideology is a way of thinking that aims at power, and provides zeal and weaponry in political combat, no Tory who really wants to get things done can live without it. “But there’s so much to do” was Mrs Thatcher’s constant refrain. She was an ideologue, who stood afore history, yelling “Go!” So does Michael Gove.

The aggressively polite Justice Secretary was sacked from his previous job at Education because he was too effective. He took on teachers, annoyed them and accelerated school reform. For this he was punished by his close friend and boss, the Prime Minister. That was long after he became a hate figure for the Left, with his proud adoption of neoconservatism ahead of the Iraq War and willingness to antagonise the teaching unions.

To a much greater extent than members of the political class will ever admit, we interpret events according to long-held prejudices and biases. Gove is an instinctive repellent to many Labour folk and, I imagine, those who voted for Jeremy Corbyn. But if it had been Corbyn who delivered the speech that Gove gave at the Tory party conference this week, I suspect they would have upheld it as a model of compassion, decency and liberal values.

Gove grappled with the least sexy subject in politics: prison reform. Not many people really bother with this. Why would you? They’re criminals, after all. But the cost in financial, moral and practical terms of our rates of recidivism has been one of the untouchable scandals of British government for decades, and the approach of successive ministers to lock up ever more people has run consistently counter to the advice of people actually working in the system.

“We should never define individuals by their worst moments,” Corbyn, sorry, Gove, said. “We should acknowledge … many [prisoners] will have grown up in terrible circumstances. Women in particular are let down by the system … victims of rape have to wait … two years …” His speech followed other pronouncements about ensuring the poor had access to justice, and the rich weren’t allowed to buy freedom.

"Having replaced the woeful Chris Grayling, Gove is embarking on an unforeseen experiment in the Government"

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It’s early days, but having replaced the woeful Chris Grayling, Gove is embarking on an unforeseen experiment in the Government. This time he is taking on well-paid lawyers rather than teachers, and there seems to be a pleasing tension between him and Home Secretary Theresa May.

I put to you that if his speech yesterday had been given by a Labour Justice Secretary it would have been dismissed as soft on crime; that stealing the opposition’s clothes has worked rather well in British politics over the past two decades; and that it will take an ideologue to cut through the injustice of Britain’s justice system. Gove seems up for it, and his enemies should take a second look.

Amol Rajan is editor of The Independent. Twitter: @amolrajan

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