It's guaranteed...

So G.Brown's new idea is to guarantee qualities of public service - you will have one policeman come down your street every day or you can claim compensation/sue, etc., or treatment within 18 weeks, or the school selected for you will win highest status....

Where will it end? Presumably because central top-down targets have failed, and the Tories's "power to the customer" seems a winner, Brown & Co. have had to come up with something else.

Will anyone buy it? Those who in the past have had the temerity to claim/complain/seek redress have often found that legal and administrative wheels grind very slowly, in fact so slowly that it will be too late before you hear the result - you will have died/recovered despite the problem, the school is still the sink it was but it's too late for your child anyway.

If you were compelled to shop at a particular supermarket, and the service became poor in some way, how long would it take to correct, - possibly a few weeks, but perhaps months if the government or supermarket could prevent you going elsewhere. Monolithic monopoly public services are much more difficult to change.

If there are other supermarkets nearby, changes (for you) would be quick, - you would go elsewhere on the next shopping day. If most consumers had had the same poor service, the managers would have to act promptly or they would finish up with few customers, little profit and job losses.

Brown doesn't get it. The way to drive up standards it not to set complicated targets from London, or urge people to claim/complain/sue. Rather, let them vote with their feet and the good providers will drive out the bad very quickly, or be copied by the very bad.