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Ed Balls, youth crime and a cut too far
CABINET minister Ed Balls lambasted Camden’s ruling coalition yesterday (Wednesday) as disgusting for chopping youth services.
But he would say that, wouldn’t he?
It wouldn’t be unfair to argue that Mr Balls was going in for a bit of straight electioneering. He’s on the hunt for votes, anxious to stoke them up for Ken Livingstone in next week’s London mayoral contest. By knocking the Tories and Lib Dems in Camden he hopes to swing voters Labour’s way.
Labour’s strategy is simple. Historically, Labour has always profited from big turnouts. So, high polling should benefit Labour.
Youth services have always been a soft target for councils eager to balance their books. And if Labour hadn’t cut youth services in the past – as they tended to do over the years when in power – we would be able to find sympathy with Mr Balls’s remarks.
That aside, however, the fact is that youth services merit much greater investment than they have had since the 1970s. The rise in youth crime has many causes that can be traced back to our commercialised culture and loosening of family ties. But, clearly, adequately provided youth centres must, by their nature, help to keep youngsters off the streets and away from crime. They are not a perfect foil, but are definitively a positive force.
Down the years, however, you can safely bet that if Town Hall accountants set out to slim budgets they’ll pick on libraries and services for the young and the old.
Even so, at a time when youth crime remains worryingly high, it beggars belief that the Castlehaven Community Centre and the Fresh Juice Bar should be deprived of funds.
Building by the pond will mean a lorry load of trouble for Heath
VIGILANCE among conservationists is the only protection for the Heath. This has been the case since the 19th century and remains so today.
Residents in Fitzroy Park are opposed to a proposal to build on land opposite the Ladies Pond (see page 26).
The very notion of a threat to the Heath should make council planners wary.
It is calculated by residents that 16,000 trips would have to be made over two years by lorries to complete this particular project. In a tug-of-war of this sort someone has to give way.
We cannot see why residents will oblige.
Nor do we believe planners should be sympathetic to any scheme that threatens such a precious piece of land.
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