Blair shows no r-e-s-p-e-c-t to parents

We've heard a lot about respect from Tony Blair of late but our Prime Minister doesn't show much respect to Britain's parents.

Although his condom compassionate government has thrown more and more resources into safe-sex education, the latest data show that teen pregancies are actually up. The proliferation of safe sex education and contraception has also done nothing to stop the explosion of sexually-transmitted disease. But this does nothing to stop New Labour and, sadly, Andrew Lansley from recommending even more of the same at an earlier and earlier age. Why don't these people ever ask if the sexualisation of children - encouraged by ever more sex education - is part of the problem, rather than the solution?

A despairing Labour government has now asked parents to get involved. Yesterday's Guardian, reporting an interview with Beverley Hughes MP, noted: "The government has reached the limits of its ability to contain the UK's high rate of teenage pregnancy and can go no further without the help of parents, the new children and families minister warned yesterday."

But this is the same government that last year agreed that parents should not necessarily know if their underage daughter is having an abortion. Government policy can't easily diss parents and then demand their co-operation. Whatever happened to joined-up government?