The Coalition Government is hell bent to destroy the future of our country’s young people

Last Updated on Monday, 06 June 2011 12:47 Written by Keith Henderson Thursday, 06 June 2013 00:00

It seems this coalition government is hell bent and fiercely determined to destroy the future of our country’s young people. The latest is the overnight and brutal scrapping of the School Sports partnership, an initiative introduced by Labour when in office. It was a tremendous initiative that brought competitive sport to young people for the first time for a generation. The Labour government came to office 1997 facing a generation of kids gripped by lethargy and obesity, due in large part to the Tories selling off of school playing fields to the highest bidder which led to the abandonment of school sport, the place where young people traditionally received their exercise. Not under the Tories of Thatcher and Major and now it seems not under the Tories of Cameron and Osborne. When the last Conservative government left office in 1997, only one in four children at state schools was given the statutory minimum of two hours' PE per week. By the time Labour left office this year this figure had reached 95%. This was all organised for each area under the banner of the 449 Schools sports partnerships. In our area there are two school sports partnerships that have been scrapped without warning without notice, covering Colchester and Tendering. Michael Gove education secretary spoke about protecting the "Olympic legacy" however in not only scrapping the SSP’s but also the rules that state each child should have a guaranteed 2 hours PE a week, Gove has flushed the future of our children’s health alongside the so called "Olympic legacy" down the plughole. All for the sake of a paltry £162m school sport, our kids health and futures have been sent back to where they were under the last Tory government, nowhere and with no future. As can be seen by the improvements that this initiative and our Labour government proudly had on developing the health, competitiveness and sporting prowess of our youth it is only a Labour government that can deliver on this issue. This coalition government has only contempt for our kids and their future.

Keith Henderson
Clacton Labour Party Parliamentary Spokesperson