What did people think about Tim Laughton's speech on supporting social workers?

I'm sure that on a personal level he is quite sincere about it - it's just difficult to separate the opinion of the Tories from the right-wing press

Presumably this is the same Tim Laughton who, with his colleage Peter Bottomley, posed Benny Hill-style with some models dressed as "saucy nurses" in a calendar. http://grayee.blogspot.com/2007/10/tory-mps-saucy-snaps-demean-nurses.html

I agree that it can be difficult to separate what the Tories say from the Daily Mail and the Torygraph but I think any speeches by social workers supporting social workers should be welcomed as they are so few and far between.

I think you spelled his name wrong - its loughton I think. Anyway I personally cant stand his well-fed bankers face (banker spelled with a w) like his smug posh tory gang, osbourne and cameron and that mop-haired twat Boris Johnson. wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him...would like to see him doing frontline social work for ten years and then come back and talk about it. At least Ivan Lewis has had some on the ground experience - essential for any politician I think

I agree that we have far too many young pups entering politics without the requisite life skills. However, I'm not sure I agree with your idea of "on the ground experience". A career in the military or high finance would be a far better grounding for a political career in the Conservative Party.

They should all go and do at least two years experience on some of the worst council estates in the UK. there have been a couple of TV experiments - that old toad Michael Portillo once swapped places with a single mum on benefits I think but not for long! Would like to see all politicians experience getting an Asbo and not being allowed to hang out at their respective gentlemen's clubs. And not being allowed near Somerfield

Muriel's comment on Portillo's experience of slumming it reminds me of a challenge thrown down by a London radio station in 1990, I think it was. The Sunday Express commentator, Lady Olga Maitland (Con), had written about how adequate the state benefits were for homeless people living in bed and breakfast and how she - and a family - could easily live on such a pitiful sum (£38 a week I think it was). She lauded the nutritious meals she was able to cook with the money until it was pointed out that most of these places had only one kitchen between several families, none of whom wanted to wait a couple of hours while she constructed her Michelin standard fuel. Real world? We can all slum it when we know there is an end in sight.....

yes but for some there is no end in sight. and its those people that politicians really need to focus on if I for one am going to take them seriously. on a lighter note that portillo is an old rubber-faced toad and should just crawl under a stone and leave everyone in peace. what a vile personage! he looks like widow twanky gone wrong

But isn't our belief in the importance of "keeping it real" entirely predicated on what people come out proposing in the end?

Take Shaun Bailey, the Conservative candidate whose credentials are unimpeachable in terms of background (working-class) and profession (he co-founded My Generation, a charity to tackle disadvantaged young people).

But he's now signed up to a Conservative Party agenda.

Shaun Bailey, while worthy, is something of an anomaly I am sure you would agree. I do believe that the principle of "work experience via the slums" should be a matter of course for all would-be politicians, regardless of what party they sign up to in the end. Now Shaun Bailey would make an interesting prime minister....I am intrigued to see just how far he is going to go....what he has to say about "yoof" is far more based on the ground that Tim Loughton's offerings

Little Boho,

'Presumably this is the same Tim Laughton who, with his colleage Peter Bottomley, posed Benny Hill-style with some models dressed as "saucy nurses" in a calendar. http://grayee.blogspot.com/2007/10/tory-mps-saucy-snaps-demean-nurses.html '

Really? I like him already.

Seriously, I didn't get to hear his speech but I have read the report he/his party commissioned called 'No More Blame Game', which I think is a really welcome and well reasoned discussion on the role of the social worker. I've also read several articles by Tim Loughton in the Guardian and I think he really does give a toss about the job we do which, in a politician (particularly a Tory one), is all too rare. Perhaps I'm being naive but I think he actually cares.......

Anyway, the link to the report is here. http://www.scie-socialcareonline.org.uk/profile.asp?guid=91af6f7b-c5b6-482e-9942-d2e0b2a082c3

Happy reading!

I'm going to meet him with two other people on 23 April so I'll let you know what I think after that.