Tony Blair tackles anti-social children "pre-birth"

[noxlumos]

What does everyone think about Tony Blair's latests idea to tackle "problem children" before they are born by threatening their young and unmarried mother's with sanctions if they don't agree to the Govt "keeping a close eye on them"?

[Goodsoulette]

I dont understand, how? All sounds a bit minority report to me.

[mimififi]

Bizarre! It would make sense if all 'problem children' were born to teenage, unmarried mothers, but unfortunately, society is not as organised as that. 'Problem children' are born to all walks of life to all sorts of parents so, frankly, what is TB banging on about?

proposterous. he wants to stop blathering on about utter nonsense and start concentrating on ways he can keep my local hospital open....grrrrr.

(btw, i was a teenage unmarried mother and my health visitor said I was a great mum and used to write really cute, encouraging things in my red book under 'comments'. Now i am not an unmarried mother and most sadly, no longer a teenager.)

[mimififi]

oh, and should have added:

...like the kept an 'eye' on Victoria Climbie, and that little lad recently whose own mother was supplying him with heroin...? If they did keep an eye on children at risk (who are, in some cases the 'problem children' as they are struggling with so much alone) then there wouldn't be as many 'problem children'.

[Ladyboyg1]

If only simplistic things like money / jobs and / education actually helped with parenting skills....sadly reflecting on many of the views pased on AB everyday, there will be many more socially /morally retarded children for a long time to come.....x

[matt66]

he is not only a danger to the world but to British society as well. Blair has gone mad. Few years ago to even say something like this was considered political suicide. But in new labour with all that has happened such things are passe. Historians in the future will disbelieve that such utter tripe was even uttered by a british PM on national TV. What do the social workers and social academics have to say about this??

[Kathyan]

I agree matt66. Blair has totally lost the plot. I think it's time he stepped down. He spends too much time with the other halfwit in US!

[tell-me-more]

Is this the same Tony Blair whose son was found lying ****** in some gutter in Leicester Square?

[Loosehead]

I think Blair is having a go had shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Essentially 40 years of trendy liberal thinking and the onslaught of the liberal elite on the traditional nuclear family have produced the asbo/yob/chav generation. Instead of addressing the real problems, for example introducing deterant punishment for crime (heaven forfend) and reversing the states encouragement for illigitimate children, usually in one parent families, Blair seems to think that introducing some sort of big brother malitia tasked with making sure kids are brought up to a state formula will somehow reverse the situation. I just can't begin to imagine the horror these, already brainless, busy body, politicised social workers would inflict if given this power. Yep I think his Tonyness has flipped.

[littleoldme]

Sounds like he's trying to curry favour (again) with the Daily Mail and all the other simple souls who believe that single mothers are the cause of all the world's ills. Not all single mums are single through choice.

[anotheoldgit]

I do not know why you call yourself Loosehead. I have read your contribution to this question, and far from "Loose" your head is firmly on your shoulders. I agree with everything you said, well put.

[Loosehead]

Just my Rugger position!

[andy-hughes]

The Government once again looks for 'solutions' that sound promising, but are utterly incapable of implementation.

The root of society's problems lie in education, which successive governments over the last fourty years have used as a vote-catcher because everyone has an opinion on schools, based on personal experience.

If Tony Blair seriously wants to sort out society's prblems, a good place to start would be nursery education, which at present is often seen as an option for girls who have no idea what else they want to do in life. Nursery nurses are paid appalingly, especially in regard to the responsibilities they have, not only for looking after children, but for the formation of social habits and personal interaction in children, which they carry through into adult life.

The government should apply the same policy it applies to company exexutives (fat cats) - you need to pay a high rate to attract the correct calibre of individual - so pay a salary commensurate with responsibility, and carefully select candidtates for training who can actually do the job properly, and the government can start to undo some of the damage done by the present incumbents, and every Education Secrertary for the last forty years.

There are no quick fixes - even the 'respect' agenda was a total nonsense. Teach children to love and respect each other and society's ills will vanish in the space of a generation.

It won't happen, but that, in fact, is that snwer.

[Dom Tuk]

March a person to the cashpoint for a fine.......how many marched.......none


take away children of asylum seekers who will not leave the country...how many taken away....none


He is a liar....its in his name....Bliar.........

[youngmafbog]

This is a knee-jerk asa he's afraid his legacy will be that he pampered to the liberal left minority and created the monster that many of us have been predicting.

All thats left now is for him to leave the door wide open for the BNP to walk in, and he's nearly achieved that too.

[jenstar]

As a member of the liberal left minority, I don't feel very pandered (or indeed pampered) to by this illiberal right-wing government.

[Loosehead]

Ok then Noxy, what's your take on this?

[Dizzieblonde]

I'm sure it's not true in all cases, but whenever I've encountered problem children / delinquents / criminals, or whatever you want to call them, a lot of the time when you meet their parents, you can't help but think..."ahh - that makes sense.."

[45703]

What a cheek Blair can�t even keep an eye on his own kids
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/822238.stm