Boris Johnson in "idiot shocker"

The Hitman · October 3, 2006

Boris Johnson has taken a swipe at Jamie Oliver's school dinners campaign saying the pressure on children to eat healthy food is "too much".

Tory leader David Cameron this week heaped praise on Mr Oliver's crusade to make school dinners more nutritious.

But Mr Johnson criticised the campaign and stood up for mothers who helped their children avoid healthier options.

"I say let people eat what they like. Why shouldn't they push pies through the railings?," said Mr Johnson.

The father-of-four, who is an official Conservative spokesman on education, added: "I would ban sweets from school - but this pressure to bring in healthy food is too much."

Mr Johnson was speaking at a fringe meeting at the Conservatives' annual conference in Bournemouth.

Junk food

Guidelines on meals for pupils in England were introduced last month, following Mr Oliver's campaign.

The TV chef started his Feed Me Better campaign because he was appalled by the junk food being served at many schools in England.

The resulting Jamie's School Dinners programme on Channel 4 saw him struggle to persuade children to try dishes other than chips, burgers and some other unhealthy foods.

In his opening speech to the Tory conference on Sunday, Mr Cameron said Mr Oliver had done more to improve school food than the Education Department, going on to say: "Put another way, we need more of Supernanny, less of the nanny state."

Mr Johnson also railed against the "nanny state" at Monday's fringe event, branding safety seats for chidren in cars "utterly demented".

Booster seats

The Tory higher education spokesman was recently criticised by the RAC for allowing his two sons to share the front seat of the open-topped sports car he was driving.

"When I was growing up we all bounced around like peas in a rattle - did it do us any harm?

"One of the great joys of being a parent is when you throw away the booster.

"Now this law, imposed on us without public consultation, is forcing police to measure our children."

Mr Johnson also called for Scottish politicians to be banned from voting on English matters.

"I have no wish to be disrespectful to the Scots. But it is outrageous that I as an English MP can be outvoted on issues such as Oxfordshire's NHS without corresponding powers the other way.

"The Scots should not get free university education subsidised by us in England. They shouldn't get free nursing care.

"As a Scot Gordon Brown will find it hard to convince people in England he should be prime minister."

Mr Johnson told the meeting he would be "doing no more apologising" following his high profile acts of contrition when he offended Liverpool and Papua New Guinea.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

How much of an idiot can this guy be?

Pressure? What f***ing pressure? You're hardly forcing the kids to solve the Middle East peace crisis!

Eskimo · October 3, 2006

This post is not viewable to guests.

You can sign in to your account at the login page here