Editor's view - It was politics that won the day on ratios

Moves that the vast majority of those working with young children believed would be harmful and would seriously affect the quality of practice had been defeated, representing a complete U-turn on the More Great Childcare plan.

The early years sector is diverse and widely spread. Often it is hard for professionals to get together to push for change. This felt different.

Petitions were signed by thousands. Parents joined the protest through Netmums and Mumsnet. The growing power of social media in particular eased communication, with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn on fire with calls to action.

So why, in the Children and Families Bill debate where the ratios reverse was officially confirmed, did education and childcare minister Elizabeth Truss give as the reason the failure to secure cross-Government agreement? No mention of the overwhelming disagreement from practitioners and parents, or the consultation that provoked so much negative feedback. No mention of the evidence and research that the sector highlighted to prove its case.

All power to Nick Clegg for killing off the ratios proposals, but it seems as though it is politics rather than the indisputable arguments from all in the early years community that won the day.

Now there are further battles to come with other aspects of More Great Childcare. The problem is that most of these are not as easy to get to grips with as ratios, which chimed immediately with parents too. Childminder agencies, loss of local authorities' role and two-year-olds in school may be much harder to counter.