Cameron and Blunkett blast impact of celebrity culture

CELEBRITY culture has come under cross-party attack after David Cameron and David Blunkett spoke out about the detrimental impact it can have on the young.

The Prime Minister raised the use of bad language in pop music while the former Labour Home Secretary bemoaned the cynicism of the likes of Will Self and Russell Brand which he said turned young people away from engagement in politics.

Mr Cameron complained his children have picked up on swearing in hits and revealed that although he was quite strict about what Nancy, nine, Elwen, seven, and Florence, three, did he could not prevent them listening to music which contained swearing.

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He added that the children had not made the link between Miley Cyrus, who has stirred up controversy by “twerking” with Robin Thicke and appearing nude in the video for her Wrecking Ball single, and her previous career as the wholesome Hannah Montana.

“My children are too young. Luckily they haven’t connected this lovely Hannah Montana, who is now this person twerking,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Blunkett hit out at celebrity commentators who attacked the political process as a waste of time as he highlighted research showing a steep fall in the number of under-25s who plan to vote at a general election.

The MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough released the text of a speech he is due to make at the Centre for Social Justice in London tomorrow in which he warns against celebrities whose comments further alienate young people from taking part in politics.

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In his speech, Mr Blunkett will say: “Take those in the media. Will Self, for instance, a writer and self-styled philosopher, suggested on Radio 4’s A Point of View that anyone taking part in the formal political process as members of a party and the like should be considered to be ‘donkeys’.

“He and those like him (forget even the rantings of Russell Brand, I’m talking about something far more serious and insidious), are encouraging others to give up whatever small influence they might have in favour of those who already have a voice, influence and a say.”