The Respect Agenda - Blair 0 Cameron 1

I watched Tony Blair’s ramblings this morning with growing concern.  I suspect he tried to do something that sounded semi-intellectual – but Blair never succeeds in pulling that off.  I can’t think why.

Today was largely a repetition of old policies.  More of the obsession with short-termism and, unfortunately, yet another blatant undermining of Civil Liberties simply because Blair has run out of ideas..  Personally I cannot see, under any circumstances, how you improve society by undermining the very principles that it is founded upon.

Blair’ seems to have an obsession for dealing with problem children after they have become problems.   Many of these children are difficult before they are problems, many of the failings of parents can be spotted years before so-called parenting orders are given; ask any teacher and any principal.  Surely a sensible politician, not obsessed with spin and not obsessed with headline grabbing will recognise the potential for investing in failing parents and failing children before they reach the point where those children are falling foul of the law?

David Cameron was given his first real opportunity to respond to the spin agenda today and he got it about right.  The most telling quote about Blair was: “it seems as if he's given up any serious attempt to do tackle the underlying causes of social breakdown”.  That seems about right.

A report of David Cameron’s speech can be found here.