Cameron policy spotted in the wild

It appears that Polly might have stumbled across that rarest of flowers, a David Cameron Policy. Blind to anything but central government she cannot see it, but the tender shoots are just about visible pushing up through cracks the intellectual desert that has been Cameron's leadership so far. She is trying to critise him over his "hug a hoodie" speach when the discovery is made

But Cameron's Love Actually is free. Charities do it, the state doesn't - and never mind the money.

That would appear to be the point. She earlier quotes Ian Duncan Smith who outlines explicitly what this is all about, even if Polly willfully ignores it, Duncan Smith says:

"when it comes to these difficult issues we're obsessed with measuring the quantity of inputs. How much money. How many more staff. Whether targets are met ... Our record is lousy; yours is great - so you should be in charge."

Whenever the state does something it does it very very badly. But in order to remain free from the dead hand of central government they cannot simply have central government money hosed at them, if that happened they would become beholden to their financial masters in whitehall and soon be producing just as poor results as any other part of government. Polly and other lovers of big governemnt might think that Cameron has any policies in the words of Home Office minister Tony McNulty that Polly quotes

"wash and go" policies. Cameron leaves not a drop of policy clinging to him as he dips in and out of the milk of human kindness

But this is because he refuses to make big claims about directing the power of central government at things, but that is the policy. Avoid government action where possible, because it does not work. Curtail state activity in favour of allowing the small local groups that actually do work to get on and get things done.

Hugging charities and emoting over hoodies is no substitute for a policy, and the "what works" evidence is in front of his nose.

Polly you are seeing the birth of a policy right there, getting government to do less in because of the "what works" evidence in front of his nose. He is going with what works, private charity, rather than what doesn't, government action.