Cameron fights ‘sexualisation of youth’
By politics.co.uk staff
David Cameron took action against the sexualisation of childhood today, unveiling a set of policies which would hit firms flouting rules protecting youngsters.
“What we are saying is that you can’t cut children off from the commercial world, of course you can’t, but we should be able to help parents more in terms of trying to make sure that our children get a childhood and that they are not subject to unnecessary and inappropriate commercialisation and sexualisation too young,” he told GMTV.
Under Tory plans a company found guilty of inappropriate marketing to children would be banned from bidding for government contracts for three years.
An internet forum allowing parents to see what other parents were complaining about would also be set up, Mr Cameron confirmed.
“The Lolita beds and the padded bras and the rest of it, in the end most of those products were withdrawn because of parental pressure, so let’s help the parents to put that pressure on,” the Tory leader added.
Asked about a newspaper articlewas in which Mr Camer quoted as on saying it would be inappropriate for his daughter to listen to Lily Allen, whose songs cover topics such as politics, drugs and premature ejaculation, Mr Cameron confirmed the report. “No, listen to something else,” he said.
Children’s secretary Ed Balls said the government had been working on the issue for some time and welcomed the Tory leader’s new interest in the topic.
“The commercialisation and sexualisation of children is an issue I raised in the children’s plan two years ago when I became children’s secretary and it’s good to have David Cameron’s support because this is something which concerns all parents and is not an issue for party politics,” Mr Balls said.
