Opinion by Michael Fabricant MP.

LITTLE VICKY POLLARD IS A PART OF OUR SAD SOCIETY

Have years of political correctness and irresponsibility fractured our society?

The spate of stabbings in London and elsewhere have finally forced our nation to address the issue and ask questions and pose solutions which were formally thought to be politically incorrect. How extraordinary that David Cameron should now have the political courage and the honesty to say that some of the obese, lazy or poor spend too much time blaming social problems rather than their own lack of moral fibre for their own shortcomings. Little Britain?s Vicky Pollard ? an uneducated, obese, teenage single mother ? is not just a comedy character, but a sad observation on part of our society.

A friend of mine was a volunteer with Birmingham Young Volunteers for over 20 years. He tells me that when visiting homes receiving help from social services, he would often see bare mattresses on the floor and other indicators of great poverty, yet the latest TV and satellite system would be installed.

?Social problems are often the consequence of the choices that people make?, David Cameron has said. "There is a danger of becoming quite literally a de-moralised society, where nobody will tell the truth any more about what is good and bad, right and wrong.?

And parents have an obligation to set rules, be consistent and fair. Children need a reliable framework in which to coexist with each other and with society. Yet trendy socialist psychologists in the 60s and 70s argued for a contrary culture with life untrammelled by regulation. They were smug with their self-conviction. How wrong they were. They now bear the large burden of responsibility for their irresponsible experiment. Dysfunctional families breed more dysfunctional families down through the generations. Now may be the last chance we have to try and halt this decline.

In a recent speech, David Cameron said: ?Children are growing up without boundaries, thinking they can do as they please, and why no adult will intervene to stop them – including, often, their parents. If we are going to get anywhere near solving some of these problems, that has to stop.? He added: ?We as a society have been far too sensitive. In order to avoid injury to people’s feelings, in order to avoid appearing judgmental, we have failed to say what needs to be said. We have seen a decades-long erosion of responsibility, of social virtue, of self-discipline, respect for others, deferring gratification instead of instant gratification. Instead we prefer moral neutrality, a refusal to make judgments about what is good and bad behaviour, right and wrong behaviour. Refusing to use these words – right and wrong – means a denial of personal responsibility and the concept of a moral choice.

?We talk about people being ‘at risk of obesity’ instead of talking about people who eat too much and take too little exercise. We talk about people being at risk of poverty, or social exclusion – it’s as if these things – obesity, alcohol abuse, drug addiction – are purely external events like a plague or bad weather. Of course, circumstances – where you are born, your neighbourhood, your school, and the choices your parents make – have a huge impact.

?But social problems are often the consequence of the choices that people make? Cameron observed.

We are at a turning point. Either we reject these rather common sense ideas and continue down the road to social dislocation or we say ?enough is enough? and move forward and attempt to repair our society before it is too late.