A great event. It was a relief to hear that those of us who believe that education is about more than exams and is integral to the good society are not alone. Thanks a lot everyone and especially Ken for his rousing closing speech. I feel energised to spread the word and rekindle the passion for what education should really about up here in Manchester.

The silence is deafening from one solely key thinker. This speaks volumes.

Andy,
I share your concerns that New Labour has created or rather continued to progress Academies from earlier Conservative policy around the time of Kenneth Baker. They never learned the lessons of the CTC experiment and continued to champion faith sponsors and businesses under the direction of Blairs doctrine to run schools. It is such a shame that Mr Cruddas has broken with convention and realises that Labour is now a multi coloured rainbow project. Red, Blue, Purple, Green. Pure and utter pluralist claptrap. Cruddas's association with Andrew Adonis will come back to haunt Ed Miliband. I do not believe Jon Cruddas or Stephen Twigg are the right people to argue for 21st Century Education

My message to Mr Cruddas and Andrew Adonis if he wishes to join the debate, give me the evidence that Academies under New Labour or under the Coalition as it goes, using purely the original aims and objectives outlined by David Blunkett were successful in raising standards and breaking the cycle of underachievement and I will give you evidence to suggest otherwise. That is the identification of the real reasons why Academies appear to be successful, not the ones that Adonis et al have championed. Please do not use Academic papers, PWC, NAO reports, etc as I have read them all.

New Evidence based arguments over the last 10 - 12 years please.
You might just lose this one Jon.

I attended a conference in London a couple of weeks ago on the future of schools organised by CASE (Campaign for the Advancement of State education ) and SEA (Socilaist Education Association) amongst others.
There is ample evidence that the market/diversity based system of improving education is a myth. There is no genuine accountability and it is creating huge anxieties for parents and teachers which the Labour party is refusing to address just at a time when they need to speak out firmly on the havoc being wreaked by the Tories. It is so disheartening that Jon Cruddas should be lining up behind the views of people like Adonis.
I left the Labour party in 1998 because of its educational policies and I see no reason to rejoin.

I do not accept that Jon Cruddas is providing a framework that will lead Labour towards renewal and a 21st Century manifesto. One Nation Labour or rather Blue Labour is New Labour in disquise. Please do not be fooled. Cruddas's communitarian ideals are very Third Way, clintonesque. This is plain clear to see. Michael Sandel and his philosophy on Virtue, Etzioni and his "Spirit of Community" and Alisdair Macintyre are every where to be seen in the Cruddas review. They all contradict

The Labour Party is again talking to itself without a human face. Is it any wonder Mr Cruddas is only known in small circles. Some members have heard of him but never seen him, some other members have never heard of him. The electorate who are the most important resource that Labour has outside its 200.000 membership do not understand the themes Mr Cruddas is creating. Created in London, championed in London, distributed in London and listened to only in London. It is clear that the review team are not keen on Arnie Graf...because they are practising the opposite of what Ed Miliband is preaching.

We are in deep trouble if Mr Cruddas believes Diversity and choice produces excellence in public services by using the power of the market to create profit. This New Labour doctrine fragments community particularly on Education and creates more inequality. How can Milibands view on Comprehensive Education be championed by the Policy Review organiser. . It can't. Writing rhetorical essays using established left wing academics is not the answer to Labours problems. Where is the link to grassroots...there isn't. Where is the glue to fix New Labour, there isn't? Where are the ideas, they aren't any

I do not believe Jon Cruddas is the answer to Labours problems. Labour dogma should stand the test of time, chameleons who change colour from Red to Purple and then to Blue do not not have the right and the mandate from working people to write a manifesto.

Jon Cruddas reminds me of the modern day Raphael Hythloday... a story teller, a utopian who talks to himself. Despite the fact Mr Hythloday never existed but only in the mind of Thomas More.

My question to Jon Cruddas is who are you really reaching out to?

You know I recently listened to Neil Kinnock. I do not doubt he has great orator skills. A person who in the 70s hated Europe now loves Europe. A person who is an internationalist more than he is a localist. When it came to a tea break and lunch,an opprtunity to speak and mix with Labour members where was he? He sent an unnamed individual to get him a cup of tea. This speaks volumes. Now there's a story Jon!

What is Labour coming to when individuals are so far removed from the people they represent. Refounding Labour has created a monster. The distance between members or electorate and their parliamentary representatives is more wider now than ever.

Is it not time people started to practice what they preach.

People who say it as it is get now where in the party. So why not start to have some fun. South Yorkshire is a bedrock of Labour failure. Things can only get worse.

Good Will Hunting

Take note Jon

I see in the Fabian Review that Jon Cruddas thinks that Lord Adonis' vision for schools (based on Academies and Free Schools and the idea that diversity of provision and choice will enable market forces to drive up standards) is "brilliant".

The interview can be downloaded from the Fabian website.

Everyone ignores the rise of online education.