Is Boris Johnson MP right to attack Jamie Oliver for encouraging healthy eating for school children?

Question

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/conservativepartyconference2006/story/0,,1887014,00.html

Answer 1

No. Jamie Oliver is right.

Answer 2

Boris Johnson amuses me but I don't think he is a good role model. However, I resent being patronised too and I don't need a chef to tell me how to bring up my children. None of them are overweight.
There is a clearly a need to educate parents on how to feed their children and I believe this should start in schools. I decided many years ago that school dinners weren't healthy after my daughter was given macaroni and boiled potatoes for her lunch. So I resent that same school now suddenly inspecting her lunchbox.
So although I don't agree with fast foods at all, I feel a sympathy for those mothers who sneaked their kids food! Why do people suddenly start serving lentils whenever healthier food is mentioned? Few children like them and would rather eat nothing at all than lentil patties! We need to get the balance right. It is the educated people who are more likely to give their kids proper lunches and therefore nutrition should be brought into the school curriculum.

Answer 3

Boris Johnson should eat healthly himself, look how children are eating know and how they should be eating in the future. If Jamie Oliver can impress Tony Blair then surely Boris should shut up and let Oliver encourage healthy eating in schools though out the UK. Would Boris expect his children to eat th food available to children in non private schools-chips, burgers, sausages.
"Boris get out of your mansion and have a look at the real world"

Answer 4

I'm sure that Boris is just around to make politics more accessible to people who don't normally care. By making high profile, completely idiotic statements he is actually engaging people in thought about something they may not otherwise give much to. Is it a very clever Tory party strategy (to sort of quote Pulp Fiction "bring out the Boris. The Boris is asleep. Well, don't wake him up!") or is the guy just a plain old common or garden fool - you decide.

He is going to have a very difficult time if he ever wants people to take him seriously as a politician.

Answer 5

Good old Boris - doesn't look like the healthiest MP there ever was. Why does he find it so easy to cause offense and anguish to people?

Politics needs to have it's character's and it's maverics, Boris certainally is both of these.

Jamie's campaign has been beneficial as all school children now have access to healthier foods in school, this may help reduce childhood obesity and actually allow them to have the same life expectancy as their parents.

Answer 6

The debate between freedom to act as we choose and the need for government to direct us towards or away from certain acts will always be a hot topic. In this particular case, though, certain points would tend to make Boris's statement a little on the fatty side. One: children tend to eat whatever the culture they come from gives them (Indians tend to prefer Indian food, etc). And two: children - by definition - are not equipped to make long-term, adult-like decisions about health (ask your kid if he wants an injection, wants to go to school, or wants a bath). The appliance of Boris logic would have us all diabetic, obese and infirm before we were wise enough to consider our actions. Grown ups eating crap - well that's another question worth debating. And it's not as clear as you might think.

Answer 7

Absolutely not! Jamie has done some brilliant work on this and those parents who are complaining about the healthy food in schools and are taking their children pies and fish and chips to eat should be bloody ashamed of themselves! Boris Johnson is a blithering fat idiot!

Answer 8

That guy really doesn't live on this planet, he constantly sticks he foot every time he opens his mouth.
Jamie did what he feels is right for the children of Britain and as obesity is a growing problem getting healthy meals in schools has probably been the best thing to happen since labour came into power.
In short, no, someone who "shares the front seat of his sports car" with his children really cant go mouthing off at someone who is looking out for the interests of this country's children.

Answer 9

No, although I think Boris should be prime Minister, he should be attacking the ignorant parents who are killing their children with cruddy fast food just because they can't be bothered to prepare them a healthy balanced meal.

Answer 10

Yes Jamie only cashed in on a project that was already up and running another spin from the labour party using a celebrity.Jamie doesn't do anything unless he gains cash