Sharpe's Opinion

I am cheered to see that the commenters, most of whom seem to be Conservatives, are eviscerating Kite. Social libertarians are rising in the Tory Party and have always been dominant in the Liberal Democrats (there’s the odd moralising offence-taker, but they’ve always been a minority). Labour have actually got a lot of these people, though they tend to be disillusioned. But once New Labour have been defeated, perhaps Labour will go in a (socially) liberal direction.

I just hope Cameron holds his nerve and doesn’t give the Melissa Kites of this world any joy (if you can use a word like joy in relation to this type of person). He needs to realise that the Daily Mail are, lierally, dying out and there’s no future in appealing to them. I was disappointed by Sayeeda Warsi’s comments about extending drug prohibition. I expect I’ll be against Cameron most of the time if he forms the next government. We’ll see!

Yes, people talk about the Labour left being disenchanted but it’s the Labour liberals too. I really think the grip of the Sun and the Daily Mail is being broken and New Labour is the last kick of the controllers. They think they’re appealing to the public over the heads of the commentariat, but they’re about to realise how wrong they are…

Oh, and I like this kaytie girl’s attitude. I like that sort o’ woman, I’ve got no interest in doormats or cabbages.

Hmmm, tend to agree with the principle but unsure how this works with the families who don’t sit around a table, eating roast beef with a decent Burgundy. I can just about hear the shrieks of ‘Bullingdon Club’.

There is more than a hint of elitism in Cameron’s comments, though I heard the original question from a 14yo girl who wanted special places for the kids to drink safely, whatever she meant by that. I suppose it was fair enough for DC to comment that the special places should be home, given the short time he had.

I don’t know the background of the youngsters who binge drink. I can say this has been happening since I was an under-age drinker though I only got rat faced once and that was enough – and I had been bought up with wine on the table most days.

Young girls have fought with each other just as long but they didn’t make the news back then. Is this a case of where police have to report every damned thing now but, in a previous time, they dragged the kids back home and gave some earache to the parents and the matter was dealt with by them?

I agree – I grew up in an age where most families would sit down either at a dinner table or, more usually, in the kitchen. But we are talking about today when hardly anybody does that on a daily basis.

The availability of fast food from supermarkets and other shops is too tempting for some parents, whether they buy a takeaway or simply give their kids the money to buy something to eat with their mates. The problem with the latter is the kids will group their money together and buy a load of cheap booze rather than eat. So yes, parental interest in their kids is an issue though I suggest they could likely be as young as 9 or 10 nowadays.

Maybe DC does believe the problem can be solved by introducing kids to a lager top whilst watching TV and sharing a bucket of KFC.

I don’t equate elitism purely with money, though it certainly can be a factor. Where and who you were born to are more likely to affect your future experience of a particular lifestyle.

I’ve been dirt poor several times but still get shocked by the attitude or behaviour of a fair few people, stuff I wouldn’t dream of doing – that is a form of elitism from me.

This is why I wrote about ‘hints’ of elitism by Cameron. He may well know how all groups of people choose to spend their day and I would hope that he is as shocked as me when he comes face to face with a drunk 11yo trying to hijack his car. Having his bike nicked hardly qualifies!