Whatever the truth, many people will remember this week's reshuffle as the one in which Mr Hague sacked his deputy for saying that the state must be the main provider of health and education, a proposition which Mr Hague happens to believe in too.

ECONOMIST: Man overboard

After all, they adopted Proposition 13, which cut the schools' main revenue source (property taxes).

ECONOMIST: Education

The main such measure, on the 1988 ballot, was called Proposition 98.

ECONOMIST: Education