Once quite obviously on the 'right' of Social Democracy, New Labour's rightward trajectory has left Toynbee looking like a leftist critic of New Labour. She doesn't seem to have grasped the main point behind the PFI however when she says that, "What was needed was a tightly argued refutation of the opponents of PFI and a strong promise to protect the rights of vulnerable workers. Without that, his calls for flexibility in working practices sound like code for terrible pay and conditions". The 'flexibility' that is so prominent in New Labour's vocabulary means just what she fears it does and is a translation of the neo-liberal, 'hire and fire' culture so prevalent in the US. The lack of evidence in Blair's pamphlet that she highlights is ironic considering the fashion in New Labour circles for 'evidenc based practice.' SocietyGuardian.co.uk | Society | Polly Toynbee: If you're so sure, prove it

It is a pity that the centenary of 1902 has been so muted as the Education Act put and end to the most extensive popular democratic control of schooling - or any other public service - that had been seen in England. The supporters of the School Boards were opposed to 'Rome on the rates' which New Labour seems keen on and this led to the most widespread act of civil resistance that probably the UK has ever experienced. Socialists, and others (see: Brehony, K. J. (1985). Popular control or control by experts? Schooling between 1880 and 1902. Crises in the British State 1880-1930. M. Langan and B. Schwarz, (Eds.) London, Hutchinson: 256-273) argued strongly in favour of 'popular' democracy or 'active citizenship'. This latter notion was potentially present on school governing bodies but was extinguished in favour of a view of citizens as agents of the State (see: Deem, R., K. J. Brehony, et al. (1995). Active citizenship and the Governing of Schools. Buckingham, Open University Press). Hunt's account of the growing tendency to run public services on business lines highlights the abandonement of any conception of democracy as an active practice in which citizens participate in decision making on issues that impact on their lives. Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Citizens in search of a political role

The PFI is a crucial 'performance indicator' of the extent to which 'New Labour' has moved from the equality promoting policies of Social Democracy and correspondingly embraced neo-liberalism. That Blair has written a pamphlet on it, ironically for the once collectivist Fabian Society, is an indication of how central the PFI is to New Labour's 'project'. SocietyGuardian.co.uk | Society | Blair's case for radical change