Tonight:
5°c
David Cameron attacks Lily Allen's lyrics as he cracks down on sexualisation of children
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor18 Feb 2010
David Cameron hit out at Lily Allen's “unsuitable” pop songs today as he unveiled a Tory crackdown on the sexualisation of children.
The Conservative leader revealed that he tries to ban his six-year-old daughter Nancy from listening to some of Allen's expletive-ridden songs.
He announced a raft of measures to stop firms exploiting youngsters, including moves to bar offending marketing companies from competing for lucrative government contracts for three years.
Mr Cameron suggested his domestic battles over Allen's lyrics were part of a wider “struggle” by parents to protect their children from sexual and commercial imagery. “I try to reduce the amount of time she listens to Lily Allen because she's very keen on her. It's the point I was trying to make.
“A lot of parents feel we are engaged in a sort of struggle to bring up our kids properly, letting them see the world as it is, but not being totally bombarded with commercial and sexual imagery at too early an age,” Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Women's Hour.
“I just think we ought to give parents some more tools to help fight back.”
Allen's spokesman refused to comment on Mr Cameron's words. But she fuelled the debate on her Twitter site, which is followed by two million people. The pop star posted a message sent to her which highlighted the Tory leader's claim that her lyrics were unsuitable for six-year-olds.
When pushed on which Allen songs he objected to, Mr Cameron said: “I don't want to go into a textual analysis of the lyrics, but there are some worries.”
He stressed that he personally was a fan, but felt adult listening was a different issue. Mr Cameron confirmed that wife Samantha had had an argument with daughter Nancy in the family car over her liking for Allen songs.
The row ended with Mr Cameron's iPod getting broken. “My daughter is obsessed by Lily Allen, who I think is slightly unsuitable. So a bit of a fight takes place. I want to listen to Lily Allen'. No, it's the Jungle Book, etc etc...' And in the tussle it broke,” Mr Cameron said.
Allen's single Smile was a huge hit with young children, but its radio version censored the opening line “you were f**king that girl next door”.
The pop star, who has said she will be voting for Gordon Brown in the general election, penned another track called “F**k You (Very Much)”.
After he became Tory leader in 2006, Mr Cameron launched an attack on big businesses that sexualised childhood, targeting BHS for its padded bras aimed at pre-teens and Woolworths for its “Lolita bed” for girls.
Reader views (37)
David cameron and his party has not got the tools to fixing the economy. The are clamouring for change at all cost. Must we change from bad to worst just because we want to change? They should be able to give an in depth analysis of how the economy should be fixed.
- Chris, London, 01/03/2010 19:30
Report abuse
It's a bit pathetic if you have to fill a song with swearing.She is just a Cockney Skank!!!!
- Mark A, Warrington, 20/02/2010 22:46
Report abuse
Can he make himself seem more of a prat? I didn't think so but hey a new round of posters designed to encourage lots of graffiti.
- Delboy, London, UK, 19/02/2010 17:08
Report abuse
Glad that David Cameron is standing up for a kid's right to be a child against the adults who don't mind if this right is eroded by people making money, or by people who don't really care if kids feel uncomfortable inside. Kids giggle at adult things but they would give anything just to feel safe and happy. There are some adults who should try harder to make this possible, instead of shrugging it all off.
- A Mum/Teacher, London, 19/02/2010 15:04
Report abuse
What's he got to say about gansta rap, or death metal?
- Anthony, Esher, Surrey, 19/02/2010 12:52
Report abuse
Wow! I didn't realise that trying to exhert some parental responsibility was considered so radical these days. That's quite sad. I agree we don't need more nannying legislation, but as a parent I think he was spot on. How often have other parents had to put up with offensive and inappropriate language being used in front of children? I can't imagine anything more depressing than hearing a child under ten casually repeating this sort of language or talking about drugs.
- Mark, London, 19/02/2010 11:34
Report abuse
One of the "Lewd Lyrics" qouted is from the song ALFIE, where she refers to her brother being a t**t. She is calling him this and asking him in the song not to waste his life in his bedroom smoking dope and encouraging him not to do so. Considering I know of children as young as 10 smoking cannabis I would not consider this an inappropriate song. It could discourage others in their peer group not to follow this path. However I am aware of the public comments she herself has made about drugs, which has left me slightly bemused to her stance on this subject. I have only seen these in the press, (red tops), so do not know in what context she made these statements in.
- Jenna, Essex, 18/02/2010 22:19
Report abuse
'Lovely' Lily Allen: This is just PR rubbish with corrupt politicians + their parties trying to lever a vote out of a more popular, successful, articulate woman. Politicians just can't stop trying to ride on the back of the hard working, decent people in this country.
- Mark Chapman, Chichester, England, 18/02/2010 18:53
Report abuse
Dan, London, well said.
"Sexibitionists" are, I`m sad to say, very sensitive about these type of issues, which is why they go off on a defensive tangent offensively!
All part of the spoilt "anything goes and sod you if you don`t like it" attitude so prevalent today.
Time `fer a change to re-install common decency and personal responsibility for our chidren, innit people.
- Darius, London, 18/02/2010 15:46
Report abuse
Mr Cameron there are far worse things in today's society than a few dirty words sung by Miss Lily Allen.
Drugs,terrorism and organized crime,don't make a mountain out of miss Lily Allen's words.
Clean up the three main problems that I mentioned and miss lily Allen's words will seem like fairy tales.
- David Nigel Braham, Milan Italy, 18/02/2010 15:20
Report abuse
We are quiet happy to let our kids listen to MPs.we are quiet happy to let them listen to religious bigots,we are quiet happy to leave our children in the care of catholic priests"well some of us are" etc etc,we let them listen to violent verbal diarrhea called rap,why is it the only morality issues for some people revolve around sexual issues,is that as far as there morality extends! if so i would think they are morally stunted in there development, how sad.
- Kev, London uk, 18/02/2010 15:07
Report abuse
I'd be worried about her "singing" than anything else, what it must be to be tone deaf but have a mum in the record industry.
- Bob, Cheam, 18/02/2010 15:04
Report abuse
I know I wouldn't let me children listen to Lily Allen - more because she's a terrible singer than anything else. But you can't legislate against that, can you.
- Camden_Girl, London, 18/02/2010 14:55
Report abuse
Why all the fuss about Lily Allen? It baffles me why she is so popular. Sings flatly IMHO, needs to tone up to remove flab, and lyrics are to put it kindly, rather monotonous. Lady Gaga or that Florence someone or other seem to have more going for them.
- Jon Kent, Hertford. UK, 18/02/2010 14:55
Report abuse
Smut,we must marginalize the smut,the smut will eat us all,smut is coming to a place near you!
- Kev, London uk, 18/02/2010 14:24
Report abuse
Dave’s got a pretty solid point, made presumably in response to a relatively direct question. Any father worth his salt would want to do everything possible to stop his daughter listening to those sort of lyrics, I know I will, when mine's at that age.
- Londoner, London, 18/02/2010 14:12
Report abuse
Back in the day any song that had lewd lyrics was banned by the BBC and co. I remember when Frankie Goes to Hollywood and "Relax" was number one for weeks but never aired once on TV or Radio. I am all for banning music that is not suitable for airing during the day when children ate listening.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London, 18/02/2010 14:07
Report abuse
Dave, if you're that bothered about it just tell your daughter that she can't listen to Lily Allen until she's older and that's that.
- Charlie Stokes, London, 18/02/2010 14:05
Report abuse
I am a Labour voter and always will be but aren't people being a bit over aggresive towards Cameron here? There is a problem with the sexualisation of children and he wants to do something about it. How can such a simple statement of good intent provoke this fury? And for the Simple Simon's on here it does not mean he has no policies to tackle the economy or the challenge of India or China. He just happened to be talking about something else. Grow up.
- Dan, London, 18/02/2010 14:00
Report abuse
@ Simon, London
What, more of a vacuous black hole than our country, society and economy thanks to the Labour government?
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 18/02/2010 14:00
Report abuse
Of course we should as parents and a society protect chilren from smut, for as long as possiblem until they have to deal with it as adults.'Fatty Allen' just wants to make money....Those defending her are short in sensitivity and appear to me sinister/unpleasant, how would any nice person wish to corrupt kids....
- Jolyon, KL, Malaysia, 18/02/2010 13:55
Report abuse
Yep Dave it is hard to keep the kids away from all this sexual stuff. I feel the same way about MPs expenses, immigration and all the other ways that you lot have introduced to fleece the hard working. You see I'd like my kids to know that it is important to pay your way through good honest hard work. I don't want them to feel that the only way to go is to either become an Iranian citizen but stay here so they are entitled to every benefit going or become an MP and do no work but claim for everything from duck ponds to plugs (but not first class travel - shame). I could go on but I've had my break. Its called a lunch hour but like most it actually lasts 15 minutes on a good day and for me today is a good day.
- Lou, London, 18/02/2010 13:45
Report abuse
Didn't David Cameron swear on a radio station? Do as I say, not as I do? Can he run anything?
- Moc, london, 18/02/2010 13:40
Report abuse
Since becoming a mum I've had to stop listening to Radio 1 as my toddler has started picking up dodgy lyrics. Why isn't there a watershed for radio?
- Claire, London, 18/02/2010 13:28
Report abuse
I find a lot of what David Cameron offensive. Can we ban him?
- Liam, London, 18/02/2010 13:21
Report abuse
Davey boy... what are you going to do about mass uncontrolled immigration? also 85% of this country wants to trade with the EU but not throw away 6 Billion a year on it.
Amswers on a stamp please
- Grim Reaper, Hell, 18/02/2010 13:20
Report abuse
We are bankrupt, waiting for the markets to punish us like they are now punishing the Greeks; we are fighting a war in a country that is a notorious quagmire for military adventures, we are challenged by the remarkable economic rise of India and China.
So what are our leaders and prospective leaders doingto face these challenges? Well, the Great Gord is learning to emote on telly and now Dave is wittering on about Lilly Allen's songs (which, along with Viz magazine, are a better comment on modern Britain than the politicains manage).
- David, London, 18/02/2010 13:18
Report abuse
This smacks of Boris's fight with bendy buses. Why bother with issues that really matter? If that is all the tories can come up with then labour must be praying for more.
- Come Up And See Me Sometimes, London, 18/02/2010 13:17
Report abuse
his problem is discussing relatively minor issues. It is alright for the opposition to have a view on these matters, but he needs to present himself as a potential PM and concentrate on the big things - the ECONOMY..
he should have put this policy through a more junior shadow minister.
- Martin_Clerkenwell, london, 18/02/2010 12:51
Report abuse
Sounds suspiciously like intervening in the free market to me. I thought that was supposed to be a no-no in Tory ideology, "an end to the Nanny State" and all that. Yet, when it suits them, Nanny is called into action.
Does anyone know that an anagram of "David Cameron" is "Random Advice"?
Says it all, really, doesn't it?
- Robert C, London UK, 18/02/2010 12:11
Report abuse
What you all say may or may not be true - and you may vote or not bother accordingly - but - and this is really important, folks - the real alternative to an overall majority for the Tories in the next parliament is....?
- Darius, London, 18/02/2010 10:40
Report abuse
Are people like him really a product of private education!This man smacks more of desperation every day.
But what really gauls me is people like Cameron are so removed from reality he has the audacity to spout such sound bites at us, and he expects us to listen and believe, as if he has some sort of wisdom that us mere mortals do not posses! pathetic.
- Kev, London uk, 18/02/2010 10:20
Report abuse
So a company inappropriately marketing to children cant bid for government contracts for 3 years, and thats a deterrent?
What the hell are the government buying on these contracts?
With this loony thinking God knows what deterrent criminals will face under Dave.
- Steve, london, uk, 18/02/2010 10:15
Report abuse
is there ever appropriate sexualisation of children - I think not - this is purely electioneering bluff
- David, soton, 18/02/2010 10:00
Report abuse
The Conservative's need to focus on the economy to have any chance of winning the election. At the moment, Gordon Brown is running rings around the inexperienced and unknown quantity that is George Osborne. In the words of another great leader, "Its the economy, stupid".
- D. Miner, London, UK, 18/02/2010 09:56
Report abuse
Afraid I have to agree with Simon, London.
Cameron goes into the office in the morning, and is told what the latest focus-group concerns are. They then become the Conservative "policy" for the day. Pathetic!
- Croyboy, Croydon, 18/02/2010 09:52
Report abuse
More gesture politics from the man without any policies. Is David Cameron any more than a vacuous black hole. Why did he not comment at a time when he could have affected policy? The answer is because he is just headline chasing and dog whistling to hide the empty centre where policies should be.
If he really cared why not say something like I will ban all advertising between and around childrens programmes on TV. He won't because he is not really committed to anything, just chasing a headline. More spin.
- Simon, London, 18/02/2010 08:51
Report abuse
