Boris Johnson forced to eat humble pie after landing himself in soup

David Cameron on Sunday: "We need to understand that cultural change is worth any number of government initiatives.  Who has done more to improve school food, Jamie Oliver, or the Department of Education?"

Boris Johnson today: "If I was in charge I would get rid of Jamie Oliver and tell people to eat what they like... Why shouldn't they push pies through the railings? ...I would ban sweets from school - but this pressure to bring in healthy food is too much." (Quoted on BBC Online where Mr Johnson has since denied the reports).

Comments

[eugene]

I am a DC fan...but I hate this interfering stuff- the idea of chocolate oranges vs. real oranges, using Tory conferences to lecture people about the dangers of low cost flights and the benefits of Jamie Oliver.

Trust people to make their own good decisions...including shoving pies through the school railings. I for one wish Boris had said that.

[Mark Wadsworth]

Humble pie and soup sounds like quite a sensible diet to me.

[aristeides]

I don't know, Mark. It seems pretty thin gruel in Bournemouth.

[greg]

Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, the lot costs the NHS millions every year, millions to which i wouldn't be surprised if some of these parents aren't contributing. This is not a simple matter of personal choice, regardless of what you think of the chosen solutions.

[James Maskell]

I dont recall a story about shoving pies through school gates. I do remember the story about the chip shop though. No pies were involved though.

Boris quickly called Jamie Oliver a "national saint"... Guess he doesnt want to go on more trips across the country grovelling then?

[malcolm]

Johnson is invariably a self publicist and has often been a fool ((as he was today) when will he ever learn?

[Richard Donnelly]

its about time somebody stood up and said it as it is. All this goverment interferance in diets, car seats for kids is loonacey, next ill be asking mr blair what im having for diner and having a HSE inspector present when i get in my car. At least there is somebody who is willing to voice the other side of the coin, which is i want to decided what i and my kids eat, and i want to make sure my kids are comfortable on a 10 hour car drive. good on you boris keep saying as it is, and dont let the nanny state talk for you.

[Monday Clubber]

Once again Boris Johnson makes a total prat of himself. Personally, I've never found him remotely amusing.

My wife (a Home Economics teacher and nutritionist) uses Jamie Oliver's recipes all the time. We both thought his "School Dinners" initiative was fantastic.

However, Johnson's blunder pales into insignificence alongside Osborne's disgusting slur against Autistic people. I was personally shocked by his conduct as were many other conference-goesr to whom I spoke at Bournemouth.

At the very least Osborne should be suspended from his job pending a full and proper apology to all who suffer from Autism. Osborne's action reeks of the kind of uncaring thoughtlessness associated with the worst type of "Alan B'Stard" Tory.

Personally I'd dispense with his services altogether but I guess "Dave" needs his best friend to hold his hand for him.

[Tam Large]

Good for you Boris for saying what real people are saying! Down with the Food Police - long live personal choice.

If Cameron puts you in detention for this cheery bit of "real-speak" I for one will be happy to pass pies through the railings to feed you!

[Matt Davis]

I agree with Boris personally, oh and by the way he definitely did say it, at the CPON fringe meeting in the Bourne Hall Hotel on Monday for sure, I saw it for myself.

[Richard]

Well said Boris, about time the health fascists were told where to go.

"Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, the lot costs the NHS millions every year, millions to which i wouldn't be surprised if some of these parents aren't contributing."

This another example of why the NHS needs serious reform - taxpayers are forced to subsidise people who bring about their own ill-health. At least smokers pay via cigarette taxation.

[TomTom]

I dont recall a story about shoving pies through school gates.

No and the fat slobs in Rotherham had neither a licence to sell food, nor a food-hygiene certification, nor any right to undermine the headmaster's authority............but these fat, bloated, ignorant women who appear 15-20 years older than their ages are the reason that areas like Rotherham are dumps..........yes Denis MacShane, your constituents live in a dump because some of the residents make it that way

[Tim Worrall]

Hang on.

I remember an article Boris wrote for the Telegraph where he announced himself a patriarchal Tory on matters of school dinners, and said that making sure that children got a square meal at lunchtime was more important than their personal choice in the matter.

Changed his mind already?

[Tim Worrall]

Yes! Here it is:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2005/03/24/do2402.xml

"But when it comes to children's diet, I am an out-and-out paternalist. Bring back compulsory school dinners, I say, and, if that means nothing but liver, on some days, so be it. It would certainly mean less obesity."

[Monday Clubber]

Perhaps one of Boris's remaining fans will tell me why they find his crude antics amusing, as opposed to buttock-clenchingly embarrassing.

Has the party really got so out of touch with normal people that they think we need a witless clown like Johnson to make us appear "human"?

Actually his grovelling trip to Liverpool to apologise for THAT article (which was actually written by Heffer) tells us all we need to know about him.

If he possessed an ounce of courage he would publicly have told Howard to take a running jump.

[Chad]

If the parties are so keen on "behaviour" taxes, then surely now is the time to introduce the ultimate behaviour tax - medical insurance (with annual checkups for premiums adjustment).

Then we can drop the nannying and leave people free to make their own choices and of course face the financial consequence of those choices to avoid the taxapayer rhaving to carry them.

[Monday Clubber]

I've been particularly impressed - not! - by the way in which Dave 'n George have deliberately attempted to confuse pure fiscal taxes with "green" taxes.

There may well be a pragmatic case for certain "green" taxes although Chad's point on the Nanny State is a strong one.

Incidentally Chad, I was most impressed by your colleagues Nigel Farage and David Campbell Bannerman when I attended the UKIP fringe meeting yesterday.

UKIP have produced a magisterial booklet on flat rate tax which makes good reading. Seems they are making a real attempt to break the "one-issue party" mould.

Er...wasn't Osborne once in favour of flat rate tax?

[Chad]

Take a read of our Education Policy too.

Common sense. I think tax and education will form the cornerstone of UKIP's domestic agenda much as Cameron is promising to make the NHS his.

It's good to have a choice of priorities so we should all welcome UKIP's libertarian-right. agenda

[Mr Speaker]

Order! Order!

This is not a thread about UKIP; it's about Boris Johnson's comments regarding school meals and Jamie Oliver.

Please do try to stay on-topic.

[david]

I can't understand why Boris is against health eating. Petronella Wyatt wasn't fat, if she was, would Boris have gone to bed with her?

[Chad]

Sorry Mr Speaker :-)

- my point was that although he may have used a bad example - I support Boris with his libertarian approach.

Enough nannying!

Let people make their own choices and take responsibility for the consequence of those choices.

[Jack Stone]

I am afraid Boris Johnson is a figure of fun and if he wants to be that and act the clown he should be left to do that on the back benches not as a front bench spokesman.
The fool should be sacked.

[Mark Wadsworth]

Nice headline in Metro about Boris being "upper crust".

[Richard]

"No and the fat slobs in Rotherham had neither a licence to sell food, nor a food-hygiene certification"

My parents never needed either of those to feed me when they made me a packed lunch.

"nor any right to undermine the headmaster's authority"

Why should they need a right? Everything is permitted unless prohibited is the English way.

"but these fat, bloated, ignorant women who appear 15-20 years older than their ages are the reason that areas like Rotherham are dumps"

Agreed. But that's their fault and if a consequence of their behaviour has to be paid for by the rest of us then the burden should be shifted on to them.

Make people responsible for themselves and make them benefit from or suffer the consequences.

[Angelo Basu]

It is possible to praise Jamie Oliver's campaign while defending the right for parents to make bad choices. The whole nature of having a publicly run school system is that it involves the State at some level making decisions about what is good for children. Self-evidently, providing a healthy diet is part of that.

Similarly, parents are free to make the decisions they wish in respect of their children. If they choose to stuff junk food down their throats in preference to healthy food that is their choice. Perhaps there is an argument for the taxpayer then not picking up the tab for the costs of dealing with disease and illness which are caused by such an approach, but that is a separate matter.

We can say what we think is right, put that into effect in those areas where we agree that it is right that the State should have a role, but everywhere else it is a matter of personal freedom.

[Steve]

I like Boris, but should an "odd maverick" [Hague] be in charge of Higher Education. Would you want an odd maverick doctor, for example?

[Richard]

"Would you want an odd maverick doctor, for example?"

Providing he cured me then yes. He might even make the experience more entertaining!

[Monday Clubber]

Jack Stone - "I am afraid Boris Johnson is a figure of fun and if he wants to be that and act the clown he should be left to do that on the back benches not as a front bench spokesman. The fool should be sacked."

Well for once I agree 100% with Jack, What a turnup!

Hear! Hear! Hear!

[Angelo Basu]

Boris may be a figure of fun but he's one that many non-political people rather like. It is so obvious that he plays the buffoon (or is a buffoon) that only thin-skinned Scousers take any offence at him or believe that his more provocative comments are anything like official or effective policy. It is a valuable commodity to have someone in a senior position who has the freedom to sound off without in any way binding the Party or being seen to be a sign of serious discord.

I suspect that bonkers Boris wins us many more supporters than intellectual heavyweights like John Redwood and we need both ends of the personality spectrum.

[Yet Another Anon]

As Shadow Higher Education Funding Minister, Boris Johnson's brief doesn't really cover school dinners - maybe university canteen ones.

What has he actually done as a Shadow Minister? - whatever he may or may not have said on this occasion he isn't really suited to be a frontbencher and would have been better sticking to being editor of The Spectator and a backbencher which he was rather suited to.

[Sally Roberts]

I was moved to jump to my feet and make a comment in the debate on Jamie Oliver yesterday and I will repeat it again here as I feel quite strongly on the subject - much as I applaud Jamie Oliver for the good work he is doing to increase awareness of healthy eating, I do not want to see us go down the road of "food fascism" and I do worry that the bullying of fat children by their peers which has always gone on in school may get worse. I do not want to see children as young as five years old put themselves on diets and risk becoming anorexic because they think they are fat and that if they stop eating people will begin to like them and stop bullying them. Healthy eating - yes but let's have acceptance of people of different shapes and sizes to go with it!

[Patriotic Tory]

Boris Johnson one of the few Toriy leaders I have any time for.

Boris has already proved that he doesn't suffer from certain "sexual problems" unlike at least one other cabinet member

[Sean Fear]

Actually, I rather liked Boris Johnson's reported comment.

I've always thought that Jamie Oliver is the spitting image of Fred West.