Chicken shit "pragmatism"

I was hugely disappointed, yet of course not surprised, when Ruth Kelly outlined the government's White Paper and its response to the 18 month Tomlinson enquiry into education for 14-19 year olds. Tomlinson's report had recommended (with the support of headteachers, school governers and universities) a radical overhaul of secondary and further education, introducing a diploma, incorporating both academic and vocational learning. It would of course scrap GCSEs and A-levels, and the ridiculous focus on examination for assessment, giving more scope for comprehensive and broader learning. Part of the aim of Tomlinson's recommendations were to get rid of the two-tier system of academic and vocational courses, which gave academic learning higher value.
It's very frustrating to see Labour miss yet another opportunity to put forward radical policy. What is more frustrating, and extremely emblematic of this government, is that it is - as is seemingly most political decision making - so cynically linked to votes. So close to a general election, how could I possibly expect our government to win over middle England by scrapping the "gold standard" of A-levels!
Not to completely dismiss the government's plans, and just to prove I'm still a Labour supporter, some of the suggestions were pleasing. If there is to be a considerable focus on vocational learning (under 14 broad subject areas) it is good to hear that they will be widely informed and advised by employers across a broad section of employment sectors in the UK. Linking these courses to the needs of industry is, of course, vitally important and I applaud that.
The government's focus, which again I applaud, unlike their policy aim of 50% in higher education, is to raise the level of 16 year olds staying on in further education (from the current level of about 70% up to 90%), either in vocational or academic settings, but I fear that their aim to end the "snobbish divide" as Kelly calls it, will not be accomplished without a radical change in policy, which Tomlinson appeared to outline in practical guidelines.
What pisses me off is that, with this White Paper, Tomlinson's discarded recommendations come across like liberal idealism, when in fact, they appeared to suggest some of the pragmatic idealism that New Labour fought to power on.