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The prime minister pulled off the stunt of appearing resolute yet consultative, conciliating yet determined to proceed in future as he has in the past, in his speech to to the Labour party conference last week. Despite losing the conference vote on foundation hospitals, there was no indication it would make any impact on the government's policy. "Get rid of  the false choice" Blair said, "principles or no principles. Replace it with the true choice. Forward or back. I can only go one way. I've not got a reverse gear."

Leadership, the prime minister suggested, resulted from instinct rather than calcualtion and involved courage in adversity. "I believe the British poeple will forgive a government mistake; but what they won't forgive is cowardice in the face of a challenge." Nevertheless, he promised to be open to other views. "Over the coming months, I want our party to begin a new discussion with the people of Britain" he said. 

Lisa Harker, chairperson of the Daycare Trust
"The government should not reverse, but it does need to find the accelerator pedal. A bolder approach to policy-making will be necessary if society is going to be transformed in ways that are in keeping with Labour's values. Take the government's pledge to eradicate child poverty. It exposes a desire to close the gap between rich and poor. But this cannot be achieved through small steps, quietly or by stealth. Turning the tide of 25 years of rising inequality is going to require the government to lead from the front."

Julia Ross, social services director, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
"I hear a much louder political voice this time around, based on a value-driven determination to make the service user, patient and consumer of public services central to all we do. I also welcome the strong endorsement of local government in the announcements on the children's services (pale) green paper. We can't afford any more policies that are disconnected from reality or from each other, if we are to deliver on the very welcome increase in investment for accelerated improvements in our public services."

Bill Badham, development officer, National Youth Agency

"No reverse gear may not seem a problem when powering down the highway of popular policy - education, tackling poverty, minimum wage, equality legislation, abolition of hereditary peerage (but don't mention the monarchy). It's just a tad imprudent when caught in the narrow and controversial cul-de-sac of government dogma toward young offenders, asylum seekers and a two-tier health service. If there's no room for u-turns and no desire to back out, why bother asking the people what we think?"

Felicity Collier, chief executive, Baaf Adoption and Fostering
"Every Child Matters could make a real difference to children's lives. On the whole its ethos and principles do fit with the Labour values of 'inclusiveness, equality and respect'. However, those we ask to support children directly, like social workers and foster carers, are the backbone of any chance of success we might have of achieving the lofty ambitions of the green paper so we should all treat them with 'inclusiveness, equality and respect'. Tony Blair will certainly need to put his foot on the accelerator to achieve this one."

Bob Hudson, senior associate, University of Birmingham health services management centre
"It's interesting that Blair says that 'he' has no reverse gear - the sort of statement that one might expect from a president rather than a prime minister. He needs to have a dialogue with stakeholders about what his core values of inclusiveness, equality and respect mean in practice. Leadership is not just about conviction. People without a reverse gear are dangerous."