And Americans don’t have the best record in intervening in Somalia, as I recall

The Sutton Trust in general, and Peter Lampl in particular, are obsessed with getting "poor but bright" children into selective schools (private or grammar), so I wouldn't look to them for an independent view.

I remember faux-left Roger Alton, former editor of the Observer being PARTICULARLY touchy

Apprenticeships in South London, for low (academically) achieving pupils? No one is interested in anyone but (academic) high achievers, unfortunately.

One of the issues where I work is the offer for people who want to undertake any kind of vocational training. All the local secondaries concentrate on academic curricula, and the FE offer is not substantial. If you don’t want to go to University, or can’t get a job, what can you do?

It exists, but the amount of people abusing the system is small, and it’s not worth skewing the whole system to take account of a tiny percentage, and is more about generating support from a particular type of bitter and angry voter.

I agree 100% and have personal experience of the uselessness of Job Centre Pluses in both benefits admin and getting people into work. However, their staff are paid a pittance, and management is ante-diluvian. The ‘young people’ sanctions aspect is headline grabbing and a sop to Daily Mail readers.

This is all about appealing to the kind of Daily Mail-reading voter who think ‘young people are lazy’. There are some truths in there - the Job Centre Plus’‘s role in getting people back into work is utterly pathetic, and this particularly applies to young people.

So political beliefs are something else?