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Sky News — Britain is broken

Appeared with the Labour MP Frank Field on Sky News this morning. I was asked to argue the case that Britain is broken. I pointed out that we have the unhappiest children in the western world, that violent crime is soaring, that alcohol-related violence is being actively encouraged with the new licensing laws and that the government is incompetent; the prisons are overflowing, legislation like Asbos can’t be enforced and discipline is breaking down in schools. Frank Field didn’t disagree, but did the classic politician’s trick of speaking slowly and at great length about his own bugbear: the lack of state support for married couples. We were cut off before we could get into a serious debate, but I felt I had made my point.

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