That means it has worried about the future of the Left and the current meaning of equality rather than proclaimed that these things are now pass . Two publications of recent years have been called Reinventing the Left and Equality . It accepts that hard choices must be made and tax resistance and demographics pose problems. But it emphatically does not believe that the welfare state must end or be slimmed down to a safety net, or even a trampoline, for the most disadvantaged. In some areas, traditional taxing and spending cannot keep pace with people's expectations and targeting is required, leaving more to individual provision.
Pensions is an example of that.
But in other areas, universalism is of the essence in ensuring equality of opportunity and a sense of citizenship. Education and health care fall into that category as does unemployment provision. Some of the options are spelled out in Welfare in Working Order . It is true that Social Justice , the repor t of the Social Justice Commission, in its search for the practical, broached university fees and affluence tests for some benefits but clearly in the context of defining a hard core of key services to which there should be universal entitlement. Ernest compromise, if you like.