Blair to reduce Council funding if anti social behaviour not cut.

This must be one of those spoof stories trying to divert attention from the Government's troubles. Blair now wants to cut the budget of Council's that do not tackle antisocial behavior. Surely cutting the budgets of the Councils will lead to more anit social behaviour. Kingston has a relatively low crime rate, even though it is rising in some of the serious crimes, but has a low issuance of ASBO's. There are two issues to this. Some argue that low numbers of ASBO's indicates there is not much for the Council to do. Others argue that we ought to be tougher. Kingston Coouncil takes the former attitude; as witnessed by their cutting of a dedicated ASBO officer on the estates. Resident's I speak to want a much tougher line. But then on the other side who can blame some of the youth for their antisocial behaviour when the Council gives them so little to do. One young person I spoke to last week argued that they get £10 a week pocket money and yet going to the cinema would cost half that.

I gather that the epetition from a Kingston Youth Movement to do something about the youth service in Kingston has now raised 151 signatures from across the Borough and London, including MEP's, GLA Assembly members and members of the Youth parliament. Yet not a single Lib Dem Councillor has signed it - and this party has a Mayor who tells us that Youth is her number one priority in her mayoral year.

To show how bad it is getting the enclosed picture was taken this morning at the top of Manor Drive in Berrylands.