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A police cadet force in every high school under Mayor's youth manifesto
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor17.04.08
Police cadet forces in every London secondary school and half-price travel for teenagers in their first job were promised by Ken Livingstone today as he unveiled his youth manifesto.
The Mayor's wide-ranging New Deal for Young Londoners also includes plans for an Oystercard-type scheme to help parents pay for childcare, gun and knife scanners for schools and cheaper Tube fares for students.
With suicide the largest single cause of death of 15-25-year-olds in the capital, the manifesto promises to set up a London-wide network of mental health counsellors specifically trained to deal with younger adults.
In a pitch for the youth vote that could ensure his re-election, Mr Livingstone said nearly all his policies - from tackling climate change to building more homes - were aimed at the under-25s.
Some 350,000 people will vote for the first time in the mayoral elections on 1 May and Labour believes it has a healthy lead among younger voters.
The Metropolitan Police cadets pledge will roll out across London a scheme that allows young people to prepare for a career with the force while building discipline within state schools.
Today's New Deal plan promised to double spending on youth services to £79million in the next two years, mainly to give teenagers alternatives to a life of crime.
Among the key policies are:
* Weapons scanners for schools affected by gang crime.
* Extending the current half-price travel for those on income support to include those in their first six months in a new job.
* 1,000 apprenticeships with London Underground and other City Hall-run bodies.
* Capping students' daily Oyster fares at 30 per cent of a daily travelcard cost.
* Making every residential street a 20mph zone to cut accident levels for children.
* A new victim support scheme for young people mugged or attacked.
The Mayor will extend the Kickz summer sports programme run by the Premier League and Football Foundation so there are two projects in every borough.
As well as continuing to fund 10,000 affordable childcare places, the manifestopledges to set up a new Oyster-type debit card enabling parents to access the childcare provider of their choice.
The debit card could be credited with childcare tax credit and early education grant entitlements, as well as employer supported childcare contributions.
Unveiling his plans in Kilburn today, Mr Livingstone said his proposals offered state-funded help in contrast to Boris Johnson's plans to set up a charitable foundation for the city.
"The policies in this New Deal for Young Londoners are real multi-million pound action to help build a better future for London, not the waffle based on charity handouts favoured by Boris Johnson," he said. "A quarter of London'spopulation is under the age of 19 and they are the city's future.
"Living in an exciting, thriving diverse world city offers London's young people incredible opportunities, but it also creates unique problems for many of them.
"All my policies will have an important impact on the future of London's young people. My plans to act to reduce the threat of catastrophic climate change are especially strongly supported by young people. And my proposals for more affordable homes to rent and buy are vital for young people starting out in life."
Reader views (17)
At last the youth are our future lets put some money into them as a parent of two 15 year olds who live in London this is music to my ears..Well done Ken.
- Stevie Bonnell, London
I think it's much more likely that anyone stupid to become the police Gestapo would be stabbed or beaten to death than serve a useful purpose, kids don't like grasses.
- Mike Hunt, Camden
It's all so easy: a veritable procession of proposals from a man who will promise whatever it takes to stay in office.
Have these proposals been thought through? Have both pros and cons been considered? (Give children free access to buses and they treat them like a playground - is anyone other than Ken Livingstone surprised? Now he promises more policing to handle the problem he created. We then pay for two initiatives where neither existed before.) The proposals are, apparently, in addition to all his other ideas and continued financial waste.
As we are frequently told when considering advertisements that offer goods and services at amazing prices - if it looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
- Alan Wenman, Ruislip, UK
Not living in London, or being a Londoner, I think that this is just a desperate gimmick by a worn out politician whose well past his sell by date. But then the London 2012 Olympics will require extra security, maybe we can use untrained and unpaid School Student Police Cadets -- Kens 'Young Comsomol Marxist Heroes!'
- B Clark, Chelmsford Essex
Here we go again.
Another election fantasy.
Another loony scheme from Leninstein.
Any Londoner who votes for this crackpot is insane!
- Ted, Dagenham
So like, "Official" school bullies. That'll do wonders for the teen suicide rate.
- Thalia, London UK
Maybe if a few of you knew a bit about the police cadets you wouldn't make such inane, mean-spirited comments. They are a youth organisation that does more than encourage people to think about a career in the police - they are one of the larger providers of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, for example.
It's probably a very cost-effective way of improving police relations and community spirit.
- Jason, Chelmsford
This idea is from the same party that wants to ban military personnel from the classroom, but coppers are OK? Double standards as usual, but unsurprising from such a two-faced bunch of criminals.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
Yeah great idea, should help civil liberties no end. A whole generation of military style police cadets under Kim IL Livingstone. How long before these bright and the best would be out scouring bins for evidence that you'd fouled the sanctity of rubbish collection cycles. Enough self aggrandizing for Ken. Did you catch him being interviewed by Andrew Neil. When confronted over previous lies he claimed that even though he said it congestion charge increase was in the manifesto when it was not. Well "people knew he meant it should have been understood that it was. Yeah, oh so that's clear then.
- Rudel Yawoken, Hackney. London
I wonder where Livingstone expects to get the money from for all these schemes, especially as it would be on top of what he already gets through taxes.
Londoners had better start saving up...
- Robert Cunningham, Harrow, London, UK
How long before they are given brown shirts and little red books co; written by Brown & Livingstone.
Just look at your council tax bills next time you see mealy mouthed Livingstone on the TV that is the reality of new labour tax and spend other peoples money is the name of their game.
Not paying the hideous council tax is a sure fire way to go to prison. It is far more serious than mugging a old lady in the eyes of people like Livingstone.
- Kenherts, Enfield
Oh dear! I just remember someone else doing this in another European Country and it pays to remember the past, occasionally.
Perhaps this is like the Curate's Egg, good in parts?
- Hugh Morgan-Jones, Manchester U.K.
Great! Leninslimes version of the Hitler Youth, truly, we have some very scary and weird people in positions of power in this country....
- Anon, England
While I would love to see a sensible re-adjustment of the smoking ban in favour of smokers (pubs and clubs please), Boris is dangling a carrot that can never be eaten and he knows it. He does not have the mettle to make that change. The rental market needs primary legislation to offer tenants more secure rights of residence as so many people are shut out of the housing market forever. I would like to see most of the surveillance cameras that watch our every move torn from the skies. Anyone offering that? Neither Johnson, Livingstone nor even Paddick will even address the issue. Labour is addicted to suffocating, infantilising nanny-state legislation that treats adults as witless children and Ken, despite his good points, is very much in that mould. Anyone who wishes to roll back incursions into our privacy by the state and the ballooning cost of living will get my attention.
- Harka Dahl, London
"Johnny come lately" from Ken Livingstone again. Good idea to help the young, cribbing Boris Johnson's idea - but the big question is how much Livingstone's format would cost us all in council tax. He is still the big spender of other people's money.
- Patrick, Wandsworth, England
Somewhat late and desperate talk! I still don't believe you and I suspect quite a lot more people are of the same opinion.
You, Bliar and muppet Clown have fooled us for far too long and we won't take anymore.
Londoners want you out. You've cause many hardship with your continued lies and bled us to the bare bone with your waste of the hard earning tax payers. Lee Grasper lied and Ken lied and lied.
I don't care who gets voted in, so long as it is not Ken.
Nothing can get any worse. Be warned all Londoners, your so called "Mars Bar" towards the cost of the Olympics will become a box of expensive chocolates.
- Alec, West London
It is a shame that Ken is aiming most of his policies at the under 25's when most Londoners aren't in that age range and want to see a change.
I am sick of sitting on buses in the mornings with kids who, now they have free travel, would rather get on a bus and cause havoc than walk a couple of hundred yards to school. I have to get the bus because I won't risk cycling whilst there are bendy buses on the roads. We're the ones that pay all the council tax to keep Ken going and as far as I can see he isn't interested in our vote. I am hoping Boris gets elected to make this city nicer to live in.
- William, Islington
