SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN - AND THE PARENTS, TOO.

Ever since the invention of the 'Welfare State', the Government and its ever increasing armies of do-gooding employees have been inveigling their way into our lives at every opportunity. They tell us, ad nauseam, that they know what is best for us and, in particular, best for our children.

Today, it's reported that a Government-commissioned report, written by Labour MP Graham Allen, is recommending 'regular assessments of all pre-school children, focusing on their social and emotional development'. This is, apparently, in the cause of improving the lives of 'vulnerable' children and will help to 'break the cycle of dysfunction and under-achievement'. Mr Allen also wants a 'national parenting programme' to be introduced.

As well as being anathma to any sane human being, this type of Government sponsored micro-management of the lives of individuals is a recipe for social breakdown on a massive scale. Parents have been looking after their children for milennia  without ever needing to be introduced to the recently invented jargon of 'parenting'; words such as this are invented purely to separate 'those who know best' from the rest of us. It's meaningless twaddle and we do not need a national programme in it.

The prospect of a vast new army of interfering social work types knocking on doors and demanding to be allowed to assess our children is grossly offensive but is typical of socialist thinking. Children develop at different speeds and every home is different; how on earth are these 'experts' going to be able to tell whether a child is progressing well or otherwise ? What will they be empowered to do should they find a child who is not, in their opinion, progressing properly ? Will they remove the child to a state-run institution where all will magically be put right ? How many such institutions will be needed in order to deal with the hordes of 'dysfunctional' children and how many homes will be torn assunder in the vain attempt to raise a generation of state indoctrinated clones ?

Mr Allen's proposals are imbecilic and the Government should reject them out of hand. It is for parents to bring up their own children, it is not the for the Government to set down guidelines, rules and assessment criteria - that is the way of Maoist communism. The more the self-appointed intelligensia try to make everyone the same, the worse the situation will become. We thrive on difference and opportunity, not on sameness.

To borrow from Henry II, "Who will rid us of these troublesome lefties ?". Please God, someone do it, and soon.