Brown really not helping himself

There are a ton of rumours about Gordon Brown and his private behaviour. His wife took to the stage to tell the country that we've all got him wrong and that behind the scenes he's a really lovely guy.

Gordon then goes and spoils it all by acting like a petulant teenager and giving Sky's Adam Bolton "da evils". Watch this clip, especially the last ten seconds and make up your own mind.

Lock up your daughters

Desperate people do desperate things. In a clear attempt to win back former Labour voters who have drifted off to the BNP, Gordon Brown pinches a BNP policy and claims it as his own.

I had assumed this was one of those throw away ideas designed to grab headlines on the day and then get gently ditched, but it seems that Ed Balls has got all excited by the idea. The authoritarian instincts of the left come flooding to the fore as the Children's Secretary says that young women will be forced into these hostels.

According to Politicshome, when asked if mothers would be legally obliged to go into supervised care, Mr Balls said: "Definitely, and rightly so because the state has got an obligation to make sure 16 year olds get the support they need". Statements like this make me think of 1984 or Brave New World.

We need to think about reducing our teenage pregnancy rates, we need to think about some of the perverse incentives that the housing and benefits system generates but how have we come to a point where the party of government announces a policy to compulsorily incarcerated young mothers, for their own good?

What if the girls refused to go, would the be arrested? Would they dragged biting and screaming by the police or the matrons into whose protective custody they are being sent?

DNA database, ID cards, detention without trial and now a plan to locks up girls just for getting pregnant. This government has got to go.

The Sun stops shining on Labour

That Labour have lost the backing of the Sun newspaper probably isn't a deal breaker but it is significant.

Gordon Brown is trying to say that the backing of the Sun is unimportant. Really? Then why did Blair, Mandelson, Brown and Campbell all try so hard to win over the paper in the past?

The Sun, like all printed media, has lost some of the influence it once had, but that is not the same as saying that it has no influence at all. Millions of people read the Sun every day and they are likely to represent the kind of voters who will move their support between parties.

Perhaps the more significant point is the timing of the Sun's announcement, it was clearly designed to undermine Brown's set piece speech. This time next week few people will remember any of the points Brown was trying to make but they will remember that the Sun turned on him the very next day.

Lib Dems lurch to the nasty left

Now that the Lib Dem conference is over it might be worth looking at the strange behaviour of the Lib Dem front bench.

Last week Iain Dale asked why the Lib Dems had suddenly become so aggressive towards the Conservatives when Labour were the incumbents. Surly Clegg and Co. would be better served by picking up seats from Labour and attacking them, he opined. My answer to that would be "yes and no". Yes to taking Labour seats but no to attacking them.

The Lib Dems have seen the Conservatives successfully woo their voters over the last few years, picking up a large number of defectors along the way.Lib Dem HQ may be daft at times but they're not stupid, they know that the Conservatives have more money and people than them and they know that people who really want a change of government will vote Conservative. Taking the fight to the Conservatives would be hard, expensive and futile.

So why the ad hominem attacks on our front bench? Because the Labour grass roots love it.

There is still a rich seam of hatred towards the Tories amongst many on the left and the Labour party at Westminster hasn't been as aggressive towards us as many of their activists would like. The Lib Dems have been two parties in one for years, the Orange Bookers have never sat easily with their much more left wing activist base. It seems the moderates at Westminster have lost the argument and the Tory bashing wing of the party will call the shots at least until the General Election.

Does London have the fattest kids in Britain?

The Evening Standard reports on the findings of the the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) which says that London has the fattest 10 and 11-year-olds in the country. Over 36 per cent of children in that age group are overweight or obese and 23 per cent of four and five-year-olds are also too heavy.

The dangers of childhood obesity are well known so this is bad news both in absolute terms and relative to the rest of the country.

How have we got here?

No one can claim to have the definitive, scientifically based answer to this but I suspect that there are a number of contributory factors. The cost of living in London means that parents often have to work long hours and schools have not prioritised sport and physical activity as highly as they once did. I'm going to sound like an old grump, but computer/video games have taken over as the primary youth leisure activity for a huge proportion of children.

My supposition is backed up by the report's authors, Liz Cavan (from the CSP) said the children were getting fatter because of “the growth of sedentary leisure activities, the car culture, time and financial constraints on busy working parents and our increasing fears about letting young children run around outdoors without adult supervision.”

I found the last part of that quote quite worrying, I fear that in our desire to protect our children from the statistically small risk of predatory paedophiles we are exposing them to a very large risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Baroness Scotland

If there was a story more appropriate for the phrase "hoisted on your own petard" I can't think of one.

I don't believe for a second that Patricia Scotland thought she was employing someone who didn't have the right to work in the UK but there are plenty of small business who are in the same boat and have (or will have) been caught in the same situation as her.

Her £5,000 fine is embarrassing for her, it would be enough to sink some small businesses. I think it well worth her pondering that.

Confusion over the ISA

I've just come down from a meeting on the top floor of City Hall where child protection issues were discussed by people involved in youth work. A representative from the Home Office gave a presentation on the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

It was a very professional presentation by someone clearly on top of their brief but it was also clear from the questioning that the sector most effected by the proposals hadn't been properly informed.

If the professionals in this field are confused by these plans how on earth will everyone else be expected to understand them? It would be so much better if the current CRB system was improved, streamlined and simplified before adding an extra layer of bureaucracy to the process.

Jacqui Lait MP to retire at next election

Jacqui Lait MP has announced that she plans to step down at the next election.

This is what she wrote in an open letter to the Chairman of Beckenham Conservative Association:

It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve as Beckenham’s Member of Parliament for nearly 12 years now but, with the prospect of a Conservative government after the next election, I have for some months now been considering whether it might be time for me to move over for a younger person. Indeed, I first mentioned that I was thinking about retirement to the Chief Whip in March this year.

Given the probable timing of the next General Election, I thought it only fair to the constituency to come to a final decision over the summer months.

I am therefore writing formally to confirm my intention to retire at the General Election, now expected in 2010. Not only will the new Beckenham constituency be able to move into the exciting years ahead with a younger and refreshing new candidate, but I will be free to take up new challenges while still of an age to contribute fully to the future of our country.

I will obviously remain an active MP until the dissolution of this Parliament and I look forward to working with new candidate for Beckenham over the coming months.

I would like to thank you and all officers and members of the Association for their active support and kindness to me as MP and to Peter and I look forward to being able to thank them more personally in due course.

Jacqui has always been hugely supportive to me and has given me invaluable advice both before and since the GLA elections. She is greatly respected both at Westminster and locally and I know she will be missed.

Am I past it?

I've just had a quick chat with Nick Conrad on LBC. He hosts the youth program and is talking about our Young People's Question Time.

He was talking through a number of issues that were brought up on the day. One of the big questions that he put to me was whether I was young enough to really represent London's youth. I had my 40th birthday last week.

This wasn't a personal attack, in fact he was very complimentary about me, but it is a fair question.

So please use the comments section to let me know if you think I'm too old to be the Youth Ambassador.

Young Londoners feel even safer

Today we released the results of the Young Londoners Survey ahead of tonight's Young People's Question Time at the O2.

One of the most encouraging pieces of news is that Young Londoners feel safer on the streets. 83% feel safe in their neighbourhoods up from 77% in 2004.

There is also a huge buzz about the Olympics too with 84% looking forward to the Olympics and 70% are confident that London can provide the job opportunities they want.

There are still too many young Londoners who have a tough time in London and no one a City Hall is going to get complacent but I'm really pleased with the direction that these figures are going.

You can download the full report here.

LDA and the Olympics

I've just got back from an LDA board meeting. Those of you keeping an eye on the Olympics will no doubt be aware of the budgetary shortfall that has been uncovered by our finance team. We discussed the plans for covering the commitments and who we got where we are.

Having spent the last year finding efficiency savings across the agency and its projects we had build up a buffer which has been absorbed. Covering £160 million will hurt but thankfully it won't hurt as much as it might of had we not tightened our belts already.

It was clear that the "don't bring me bad news about the Olympics" attitude that existed in the government and in Livingstone's City Hall did nothing to help these kind of problems come to light. When people try to make political capitol out of the LDA board or the Conservative group pushing the Mayor hard sometimes they should remember the cost of surrounding yourself with yes men like Livingstone did.

Alone in London

Last night I spoke at the launch of Alone in London's school DVD, it was a very moving and authentic insight into running away and homelessness. The team at Alone in London and at Fingerprint Films have done a great job in putting accross the issues and proving options for young people.

I'm pictured with some of the Alone in Londo team and actors from the film.

Just before I went up to the launch I was on the Eddie Nestor show on BBC Radio London talking about the government climb-down over the vetting and baring policy. Ed Balls was trying to paint it as the government listening to feedback, funny he didn't listen to the range of experts who told him weeks ago it wouldn't work.

"Play it again Sam"

As any film buff knows Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine never said that line in the film Casablanca. David Cameron never said "hug a hoodie", Captain Kirk never said "beam me up Scotty" and Mae West never said "Come up and see me some time".

Peter Mandelson, speaking on Radio 4's Today programme tried to convince us that Gordon Brown never said "Tory cuts vs Labour investment". Only he did, numerous times:

You can read about it on Nick Robinson's blog here and listen to the exchange here.

Ooooops, Lord Mandelson telling porkies? Who would have thought it?

Earn Your Travel Back

On Sunday morning I joined some young people who were clearing undergrowth and improving the natural habitat on the chalk heathland on the Bromley - Croydon border. They were working with the Wildlife Trust as part of the Earn Your Travel Back scheme.

All the young people had had their Zip cards confiscated for inappropriate behaviour on the buses and were giving something back in order to get their cards returned. While they weren't overly happy to be there the feedback forms they submitted clearly showed that the scheme made them think about their behaviour and the implications of their conduct.

This scheme will be rolled out across London over the forthcoming months and will work alongside the increase in Safer Transport Teams to make public transport a safer and more pleasant experience for everyone.

...paved with good intentions?

The government's Vetting and Barring Scheme, is the worst kind of poorly thought through, counter-productive, knee jerk policy.

No one would want a dangerous person working with children but this plan will do little to prevent that. John O'Brien, the programme director of the Vetting and Barring Scheme, said it would be a "once-only, simple step". How useful is a "once only" vetting scheme going to be? About as useful at a ten year old MOT certificate would be if you wanted to buy a car.

Not only will information gathered by this scheme be out of date as soon as it's collected, it will be a huge disincentive to people thinking about working with children. Youth organizations are crying out for more adult volunteers, in many cases it is the one thing preventing them from expanding and helping more children.

At City Hall I have been working with a range of youth organizations who collectively play an invaluable role in helping young people develop and stay away from crime. Our work in this area, and theirs, will be completely undermined by this plan.

And what about the message that this is sending to children and young people? Do we really want them to grow up believing that all adults are predatory pedophiles unless proven otherwise? The gulf between the generations is bad enough without that corrosive message being broadcast to the very young people who need our help and guidance.

So, why would the government push through such a draconian and counterproductive measure? It might be to look tough, it might be to look caring, it might be something to do with the estimated 11.5 million people who will have to register at £65 each?

That's a cool 3/4 of a £billion into the treasury all in one go.

Community & Police Engagement Forum

Last night I attended a meeting of the Bexley CPEG which was held at the Guru Nanak Durbar Sikh Temple in Belvedere. I have never been to a Sikh temple before so I took up the offer to be shown around.

There was food provided in a communal eating area and the worship room (I'm not sure of the correct term) was open and without seating. The informality of the temple is a huge contrast to the layout and traditions of Christian churches.

The meeting was very well attended and we had discussed a range of issues including local police performance, anti burglary initiatives, the policing pledge and the plans for the future. I really enjoyed the meeting and it was great to glimpse into the traditions of another faith.

Busy weekend

It was my birthday weekend just gone, I hit the big 40. Consequently I did little blogging or twittering. When ever I do that there seems to be a disproportionate amount of big stories hitting the headlines.

It seems that the Labour government's death throws are causing it to become even more cynical and underhand. Linking the release of a mass murderer to and oil deal and planning to smear the new head of the army (because his daughter works for David Cameron) are the two low points.

On home ground my friend and colleague Kit Malthouse caused a bit of a storm by claiming the he and Boris had their "hands on the tiller" when it came to policing, not the best choice of words. When people complain about the "politicization of the police" I wonder what alternative they have in mind? What would be the re-election prospects of a politician who said "crime levels have nothing to do with me, I leave all that kind of stuff to the police to sort out."

Policing is a public service and the structure, prioritization, funding, resourcing etc. have to be balanced by politicians who are held responsible when things go right or wrong. The relationship between the Mayoralty, the MPA and the Met is evolving and their will be some growing pains. The MPA is meant to hold the police to account, if we were best mates all the time it would show that we weren't doing our job properly.

Ian Clement to be charged with fraud

I'll need to double check the details and confirm the accuracy but I have heard that Ian Clement will be charged with fraud over his misuse of expenses.

I knew Ian and I liked him. I am still at a loss as to why he would throw so much away over such stupidly trivial sums of money and it saddens me that it has come to this. However it is absolutely right that he has been charged, in any other walk of life he would have been and people involved in politics cannot be seen to be above or immune from the law.

12.25 - Update:

Ian has been charged on five counts of fraud and will appear in court early next week.

Eric Joyce MP and the evening of his resignation

Last night I was one of the panel speakers at debate hosted by the UK National Defence Association, one of the other panelists was Eric Joyce MP. He was a little late for the start of the debate but, as he was traveling down from Scotland to be there, no one was too surprised.

While I didn't agree with all the points that he made during the debate, I found myself agreeing with a great deal more than I had expected. I kept thinking to myself that he was demonstrating a great deal of candor for someone in the government (PPS to Bob Ainsworth, Defence Secretary) and seemed willing to criticize the government at times. I put it down to him being an former soldier.

It wasn't until I was traveling home on the train that I checked the BBC News website on my phone (I'm a news junky) to discover that Eric had resigned from the government just minutes before arriving at the debate.

He clearly felt liberated.

Come fly with me.....

That was the tantalising invitation made by (the award winning) Wing Commander Sylvie Silver and how could I refuse?

On the last Friday of August I joined members of 615 Volunteer Gliding Squadron to see what the young glider pilots and instructors were up to. What and eye opener.

The unit is run on a purely voluntary basis and trains cadets

from across SE London to fly gliders and in a number of cases to become instructors. I took two fights, each with one of the squadron's instructors who were only in their early twenties, most of the cadets that fly solo are only in their late teens.

The fact that I felt so confident in the pilots is testimony to the professionalism of both them and their instructors. So much for feckless youngsters!!!!!

I love the NHS but........

I attended a meeting of Bexley council's Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee this evening. The main part of the meeting was the questioning of the South London Healthcare NHS trust about their plans to close Queen Mary's Hospital A&E department at night.

Since the downgrading of services was announced the hospital has struggled to recruit and retain staff, this has caused difficulties with staffing levels in A&E. The senior management team have decided to use a loophole which allows them to close the A&E department at nights as a "temporary" measure to maintain patient safety. The committee were not happy about this and wanted answers.

The answers that were given were far from adequate. It turns out that this "temporary" measure is likely to be permanent, indeed it sounded as though very little real effort had been made to look at any alternatives.

It also transpired that doctors who were being interviewed many months ago had pulled out of the interviews when they heard that the hospital faced cuts. I was therefore surprised to hear that they were surprised at the staffing problems that they now face.

This whole episode points to a catastrophic failure to plan ahead at local management level and an appalling undermining of the front line NHS staff by the government.