Denham tackles student poverty

One of the most encouraging signs of the Prime Minister's new team was the appointment of John Denham MP to be the Secretary of State for the new Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills. In his first major move he has announced new financial arrangements to provide greater assistance to University students, which will eventually be worth £400m.

My first point is that the appointment of John Denham to the Cabinet will be well received within the Labour Party. Mr Denham was a Home Office Minister four years ago and resigned over the vexed issue of Iraq. He stated his reasons for doing so publicly and then got on with his job as being MP, he did not parade himself around the studios of the Westminster village forever exploiting the issue. His decision was principled but has earned much respect for doing so. He is likeable and independent minded, well done Gordon for this decision to offer him a role.

Secondly and obviously this move is welcome and hopefully a sign that the Brown government will try and heal some of the damage caused by the more extreme and daft decisions made in the Blair era. Probably there was little option to go down the road of tuition fees, but as much must be done as possible to encourage the poor and working-class to aspire to a university education. Social mobility seems to have ossified recently and remember this is a Labour government.

Hopefully this move is a portent to more wise decisions from the new government. Uncle Arthur is optimistic that it will not be a one-off.