Boris’s gift to Labour

David Mitchell

Oops...Fraser...Straw was actually paraphrasing Brown - might it be time to rein in your loathing of Brown...just a little bit?!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7551415.stm

Carol-Ann

News for Boris, most of those winning medals at the olympics have been privately educated and have therefore had access to top class facilities as Leo McKinstry talks about in the Daily Mail. Of course Britain is not broken for them. How many of those winning medals are on welfare or have parents on welfare, probably none. I think it's time DC had a word in Boris' ear.

TrevorH

Is Boris talking sense?

Leaving aside the nonsense of using success in the Olympics as a gauge of national worth ... remember say Romanian coaching methods with young girls and Russian 'female' shot putters anyone ....

Where are the medals in Athletics which the 'working class' athletes in particular black ones, might aspire to.

Middle class cycling and rowing and sailing (with a flurry of 'jolly hockey sticks' badminton) seem to be being successful at the expense of blacks who seem more intent on shooting each other.
If the Olympic medallists were lined up as the cast of a typical BBC TV show, or as a list of parliamentary candidates it would be condemned as racist and non representative of modern Britain.

Success in winning medals comes at the expense of ruthless weeding process a centralised 'devil take the hindmost' meritocracy.

Its nothing at all to do with a society happy and at ease with itself.

Labour are merely repeating their standard line ad nauseum. It means nothing because most of us have had ample experience of what labour themselves call 'ferral youths'.

Lizbrown

Another storm in a teacup - and I doubt very much that anyone is paying attention to the man of straw or anyone else contaminated by the Zanulab brand. The meeja also needs to get a grip and take a calming cup of tea

mckenzie

Nobody will ever break Britain, try as some may seem to be at the moment. Britain, however, is far from being well though, She has a nasty, virulent virus, which there is a sure remedy for Her cure.
What a silly, superficial comment by Boris, to suggest that the team GB Olympians are a representation of the state of our nation. Carol Ann has pointed out the obvious reasons for this, but lets not detract from the fact that these athletes have worked hard and are indeed our British champions.
Christine Ohuruogu's explanation for her success is how her coach has belief in her, and I think this is the message that 'politicians' need to take on board. Young people need direction, coaching and the confidence to succeed, which many do not get at home because of an endless cycle of bad policies and half hearted excuses. No good constantly saying parents are to blame when they are totally oblivious to what the hell they are supposed to do anyway. Before the privileged among us get excited, I am aware that your privileged arses are good at passing this on down the line. But all the soil in the world will only produce a harvest in relation to what has been sown therein. Too many weeds will choke the few crops. There is a limit to how much weedkiller you can use also.

mark

It's Gordon Brown and his useless and deflated government that is broken. Simple.

Oscar

I heard Boris on WATO and he simply came across as enthusiastic about Britain's Olympic performance and keen to inject some optimism into the national psyche. It was no more than that. It certainly wasn't an attack on Conservative ideas about the broken society, or indeed, a gift for Labour. It was just Boris being Boris. No point in analysing that.

mart

I'm pleased the elected Mayor of London is expressing opinions.

"Broken Britain" and "Broken society" are good phrases for a debate. But the Conservatives should take care in case they become known best for offering a diagnosis of the country's problems, but not for recommending policies to solve them.

ChrisD

"It was a gift to Labour, and here is the party’s quote:"

"Whatever David Cameron might say, Britain is a decent, compassionate and vibrant nation, and on almost every measure it has got better in the last decade. No one has broken Britain, and no one ever will."

Got to disagree with you there Fraser. Boris is in office and must temper his comments, Cameron is still in opposition and will have to deal with these problems when he comes to office.

And as for Straw's comments, ask anyone over 30 if they see that their community is a better place to live than 10 years ago. Labour have presided over a chaotic legislation frenzy which has sought to make sure that good old common sense is replaced by the socialist state when it comes to setting our guidelines on how to treat each other in society.
Straw's comments must show he is in tune with the true state of British society to enable him to strike an effective chord with voters. But denying there is a problem simple to try and score points of Cameron and the Conservatives will not be effective, it will backfire.

Just adds more weight to the narrative that Labour are in power, but totally out of touch with reality on the ground for the voters.

Nicholas

"Britain is a decent, compassionate and vibrant nation" Pity the ghastly New Labour government isn't decent, compassionate or vibrant too.

"and on almost every measure it has got better in the last decade." That would be every New Labour measure then. Which I guess, if you look at New Labour's real agenda for Britain, maybe true. Better in the sense of what socialists see as better. More central control, more targets, more nannying, more social engineering, more immigrants, more public sector non-jobs, more freedom busting legislation, more business-stifling regulation, more quangos, more Common Purpose, more spin, more propaganda, more lies. Yep! definitely better.

And I think it is time that Jack Straw retired from politics. I'm sick of the sight and sound of him.

Pete, Scotland

I think Boris got carried away with the excitement.

He's right about one thing though, not all of Britain is broken and Cameron has left himself vurnerable by not defining the bits that are broken and why.

Carrie

Couldn't agree more with Chris D. There is nothing that infuriates voters more than the 'crisis what crisis' attitude of every member of this Government. The fact is they have been in power too long and have been cocooned from our everyday realities and therefore are now out of touch. It happens to them all!

F from Lambeth

I've met many young people who feel constantly attacked by MPs who go on and on about "our broken society". We know it's a Nanny State mess where a generation of obese kids are fed lardy pies and where gang culture is rife. Reality television continuously pours out clips of boozing teenagers or binge-eating youngsters, so perhaps it's time to give kids something to aspire to instead of pointing out the obvious. Furthermore, going on and on about the "broken society" must make some of them feel worthless, especially if they already lack confidence.

I noticed in one of the evening newspapers this evening that Boris was pictured cycling amongst kids at the opening of a cycling centre. He is not just talking about problems in society - he's actually getting in there amongst youngsters and is trying to show them that there's loads of great activities on offer. Taking to the streets to be amongst those kids will certainly mean more to them than soundbites from power-hungry politicians with crocodile smiles.

Sport is great, since it's interactive and encourages team relationships. Furthermore, kids seem to respect sporting heroes, making the Olympics an amazing way of inspiring kids of all ages to have a go themselves. Who knows, opening more sporting venues might well save a few hoodies from being dragged further down into a life of crime.

How on earth are kids meant to find any sense of pride when they are continously told by MPs they are from broken families etc. They already know that.

Until MP's stop bashing and start actually doing what Boris is doing, then their understanding of what these kids go through will remain limited.

The Conservatives have some really good, strong ideas about family, but it takes more than talk, think-tanks and posturing. They all need to roll up their sleeves and get out and about in the boroughs - going to see as many communities as they can. They need to take to the local swimming pools with their floats, floral shorts and water-wings, and they need to volunteer with teenage social clubs in and around the Capital, even if it's just for a few hours. They need to follow Mayor Johnson's campaign example and start showing kids a way forward instead of just taking about it.

billy

It depends what you mean by broken.
There is a problem. Here I am 60 years old and the wife and I were threatened by two 16 year olds on a train yesterday. Now, I certainly got up to some mischief as a 16 year old but never making threats to older folk.
There was a 5' 2" female police constable on the train. She took their details and gave them a 'ticket' that required them to behave themselves
for 24 hours. I was less impressed than they were.
I go armed nowadays. I reason that as an old person I am unlikely to be stopped and searched by police, and I am not going to lay down and have my head kicked by young yobs. One of them will suffer.

Fergus Pickering

Boris was being cheerful and upbeat. Better than being a miserable sod wouldn't you say? Good God, get a sense of proportion Of course gold medals don't MATTER. In the last analysis nothing matters, does it?

David Gerard

That's why I put Straw in the list.

James

Boris has to talk up the Olympics if London is the next host. Of course Britain is broken. On and on the stabbings go while the government spends it time chasing up the middle classes to help write more welfare cheques and the super rich pay virtually nothing.

It's a dump.

Paul B

Great comments from F of Lambeth, totally agree with him.

Sport although it cannot cure all the ills in society, can certainly answer some of the questions.

Successful athletes can be (are)role models. Young men and women are inspired by them- even if its just on some narcissistic level. Its need not be just British athletes either.

There is a large section of the population in Britain ( especially in the troubled spots of London) whose Grandparents came from Jamaica and the Caribbean. Usai Bolt can be superb role model for them, an inspiration. Michael Jordan, of basketball fame a few years ago played a similar role, but Bolt has more potential in my opinion. Hes an alpha male in every sense of the phrase and young men will look up to him with awe and try to emulate him- thats got to be a good thing.

I neither see that cycling is a middle class pursuit, anyone can own a bike. Hoy is not middle class, he should inspire the hard lads in Glasgow and elsewhere, the man is a tank.

Boxers can inspire, runners- its not all about money, its a feeling of sense of inclusion in society, a sense of self worth, which sport can give, dream and an ambition.

Boris is right. Society is not broken, but is in need of a bit TLC.We do need to stop demonising the young, (hug a hoodie-yeah why not ) in the main kids are great these days, full of vivacity and a can do attitude.

Lastly, there is one man who can be forgiven a slightly self satisfied smile this morning. Stand up John Major -gawd bless you guvnor- A working class man , who knew (knows) the benefit of sport. He gave us the Lottery , that undoubtedly has helped with the funding of elite sports. The success we have had in this Olympic games is his legacy- he should rightly feel very proud at this moment of time.

Ian C

Ah, the forecasted problems of Boris! We all love him but we don't need him saying things he does not even mean!

Johnathan Pearce

People from different sides of the political divide will try and jump on the bandwagon of Olympic success. At most, what one can say is that this proves that Lottery funding for some sports events has paid dividends over the long run and the man to thank for that is John Major, the last PM who actually knows about sport.

It really is annoying the way in which politicians, be they liberals, Tories or socialists, try to make hay out of sport. This is particularly the case with socialists and collectivists who try to pin some sort of national, collective narrative on such things. the success at the Olympics of Brit. athletes is a great thing for them, but weren't the games supposed to put an end to such national grandstanding?

London Calling

Whilst on the beach building my soggy sandcastles, of which the first few collapsed, I soon discovered that the secret was a firm foundation, I never gave up and eventually created a beautiful row of castles that gleamed in the occasional sunlight.

I don’t like words like broken and would instead refer to our problems as Bored Britain, the youth are all hooked up to the Matrix because it stimulates and challenges their minds, whilst their trainers are a fashion statement rather than an expression of their physical activity, therefore if we are to inspire the youth in our society
we have to offer them more than a computer game and that is our challenge for this generation and the next.

As far as the Olympics is concerned, it is true that most British competitors have been fortunate enough to have access to sporting facilities and financial support or live where their talent will be noticed and nurtured and this must change, not only to create more opportunity for the disadvantaged talent in our country but to inspire our youth in sports in general wherever they live.

I think it would be a good idea if the Government Tax which rakes in millions on trainers and sportswear invest some money back into society through funding and sponsoring and give something back to the youth, we all have to work together and we all have to make change for the good, for a positive tomorrow. This principle could be applied to all areas of investment in technology and innovation.

Fix Britain…unplug the Matrix and plug into the future…we have the talent so lets not waste it.

Verity

London Calling - "... this must change, not only to create more opportunity for the disadvantaged talent ...". Sport is a very short-lived career. Why should the taxpayer pay for "disadvantaged talent" for God's sake? It's only running and jumping about. It doesn't contribute to the national coffers unless it's professional football or cricket.

Hysteria

Verity - I normally agree with you but I reckon your anti-sport view is getting a little out of control - surely there are many redeeming features in sport - esprit, sense of pride, self worth, sacrifice etc that make it worthwhile for its own good?

as much of the funding at the highest levels comes from the lottery it is not taxpayer funded. (Despite the disparaging references to the lottery as a tax the fact remains it is not)

Further, as a parent of an amateur swimmer I know how much of the parents dedication (not to mention disposal income!) is required to get even a modicum of success.

Paul B

I agree with Verity, its not the job for government via direct taxes to pay for sports (or arts, craft for that matter)

That said, I do believe that via the national curriculum more for sport could be achieved.I believe more could be done (stop selling playing fields-start buying them again) it would have a positive impact on the academic side of education. More time should be alloted in schools for PE- its as important as English & Maths imo. This is especially true with boys- who the education systems has been failing of late. Get them into school, give them an hours worth of hard running and sport, by a male teacher who they respect, followed by a good breakfast each morning and soon you would have a far more compliant lot of lads, ready to participate positively and buckle down & learn. Especially true in socially disadvantaged areas. Make it competitive as well. Let them box in school. Let them run fast,climb,jump,kick a ball. The investment I predict would be repaid many times over, with well adjusted young men leaving the schools with fit minds & bodies.