The Future?

Barack Obama and David Cameron share political dreams with confidence and the audacity of hope. Perhaps the next time they meet, both will be elected leaders.

A Brief History of Childhood Behaviour

As childhood knife crime is dominating the headlines, perhaps it's worthwhile remembering the words of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He believed infants were born infinitely malleable with the potential for moral goodness that experience of life corrupted. "Everything is good" he wrote in 1762 "that leaves the Creator's hands: everything degenerates in the hands of man."

Since the end of the eighteenth century, the concept of childhood as a time of extreme impressionability, and of crucial significance for personality development, has been a powerful force politically and socially. Descriptions by Charles Dickens of the terrible living conditions of the poor were meant to move politicians, and they did. It was known then that only social reform and active measures could solve the problem.

Knife Crime in A&E

This picture was taken during the 'doctors march', March 2007. It illustrated how the then health secretary Patricia Hewitt treated junior doctors over Modernising Medical Careers (MMC).

In 20o8 may I remind the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith that A&E is for an accident and/or an emergency. It is not, and never will be, part of the criminal justice system.

The Quango Theme

Today Kathy Gyngell discusses quangos, see here.