Page 1 of Michael Portillo as a single mum

Just thought I`d remind everyone of the show coming up on Wednesday night at 9 pm - Portillo takes the place of a single mum (from Merseyside if I`m any judge of accents). It`s not the same as wife swap, and yet the single mum does end up doing Michael Portillo`s job: doing nothing but criticising those who are doing something.
Looks like it should be interesting, but I think the general consensus after the show will be: yes, being a single mum is difficult, but why couldn`t you be bothered to use a condom? (Isn`t it great to be able to sit in judgement on these people?)
I bet she smokes too.

i saw the trailer for this and i`ll definately be watching. i have never liked the bloke but hats off to him if he has done what i`m always saying polititions should do and live the life they are criticising (do you hear that two jags come and live in the rural ecomony and see how you like public transport then!! sorry thats a whole other issue <takes a deep breath>)

and thank you p 282 for reminding all us women never to have children just on the off chance we might get desserted and inadvertantly become a single mum cos that never happens does it? ok i`ve got a condom what do i do with it cos i`m sure as hell it wasnt meant to be worn by me!!

Florence, you are of course right about chastising me for apparently having a go at women for getting pregnant. Of course the fathers of these kids should be held responsible, but what irritates me so much about this whole group of women is that a lot of them don`t seem to learn from history, even their own. What I mean follows from the phrase you yourself used: `on the off chance we might get desserted`. Well it would seem that in a large number of cases, rather than the `off chance`, working class women get deserted and yet they don`t take this into consideration when having unsafe sex. Put simply, the odds are against them and they should realise this.
I don`t approve of the fact that we live in a society where absent fathers are let off practically scot free, but that fact in itself should be a warning to potential mums.
And of course, it makes for more interesting television if they show us a working class single mum on benefits, rather than a middle class single mum who is a widow through no fault of her own, or divorced and receiving a decent amount of money from her ex.
This IS a class issue unfortunately. But it is also an educational issue - the more educated people are, the more informed their decisions can be.

I should also point out that this show is by no means an original idea: Matthew Paris, one time Tory MP and now a columnist/cartoonist did a tv show years ago where he attempted to live on benefits for 2 weeks because the Tory party at the time were saying that it was very easy to live on state money.
He scraped through the 2 weeks with about 2p to spare and admitted it had been no fun whatsoever.

Congratulations to Michael - surely a first in nature - becoming a single mum ! He`s actually gone up in my books ( bet he`s pleased :) ) - he also did a stint in an NHS hospital when he was kicked off the front bench. Also, Piers Merchant did the living on benefit thing years back in the mid 80`s.

Peter

Cheers Peter, I wasn`t 100 per cent sure about who had done it but Matthew Paris was the only name that sprang to mind.

p_282, you still seem to be saying working class women just shouldn`t have children at all. I apologise if I misread your point?? What are they meant to do to protect themselves from relationship breakdowns? Even among unmarried mothers, most conceptions actually take place in stable relationships. The perception that most single mothers are feckless slappers is totally wrong. As as for it being down to education?? At the end of the day, if the father decides he is leaving, then he leaves. Anyone can be a single parent, at any age, any educational level.

I have more respect for the single mothers, no matter how inept, than for a lot of the fathers. I mean, what about the fathers who wander off and have more children, thus making them totally unable to support their abandoned children. Children of any current relationship take priority with the CSA. Who is feckless and irresponsible, the woman who had a child in what she thought was a permanent relationship, or the father who leaves and begins the cycle over and over again? At least the mothers are there for their children, rather than sending a gift certificate once a year (if you are lucky).

This item was edited on Sunday, 12th October 2003, 16:42

Random, I totally agree with nearly everything you say, and you have partially misread my point, but that is because this subject is an absolute minefield, and I am not expressing myself as correctly as I would like to, I admit.

My point was not so much about not allowing working class women to reproduce, but more about them learning less from their mistakes than others do; and also, because of their lack of education, having less financial and mental resources to call upon when the feckless father(s) walk out.
And it would be too easy to say it isn`t their fault that they lack education, it is society`s fault etc. I am working class and grew up surrounded by people who are now just like the `pikey scum` being broadcast on our televisions every other night. I myself stood on street corners, dressed like all my mates and doing all the mindless stuff they did, but I only did it for about 2 weeks; then I just said, hey, this is crap, I`d rather go inside and read a book. I made a conscious decision to not allow myself to become a vegetable in a tracksuit, and that decision has paid off in my opinion.

My best friend is a single mum, and the father of her son is a feckless CSA dodger who is now marrying a woman with 4 kids of her own, no doubt spat out by another feckless dad or two. My best friend went into that relationship hoping it would be a good and stable one, but she was wrong; and she is far more intelligent than most. I fully agree this situation can happen to almost anyone. What I don`t agree with are single mums who get stung more than once.

I would give the CSA powers of arrest and seizure tomorrow if it was possible

I do see your point, there are a few women who just seem to make the same mistake over and over again. However, they are not the majority, just what we hear about daily in rags like the Mail. I think there can never be enough education for anyone, even if it gets you no further on in life, it still broadens your horizons.

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At least the mothers are there for their children, rather than sending a gift certificate once a year (if you are lucky).

http://www.fathers-4-justice.org/

There are a lot of Men who would love to have contact with their children but the Law is so one sided and biased in favour of the "mother", the men spend years fighting to be allowed to see their children and if they are lucky they just might be allowed a couple of hours on a Sunday,they are the lucky ones.

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Portillo takes the place of a single

It may make bad TV,but to suggest that Portillo will understand what it is like to be a single parent living on a council estate is asking to much, the whole exercise is made redundent by the fact He knows He will soon be returning to is privilaged lifestlye.

Being a single parent or on the dole for a week or two is fine lets see him/them do it for a couple of years, now that would be something.

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Florence, you are of course right about chastising me for apparently having a go at women for getting pregnant

She is wrong, if the Women decides it`s time for an abortion then "it`s my body" argument rears it ugly head, so if the Women gets pregnant then the "my body" argument should also be Applied.

Oscar.

This item was edited on Monday, 13th October 2003, 08:38

This thread need to be started seperately as you have opened a can of worms.
I for one am fed up of the single mum crusade .
I am the main carer for my little boy so it goes both ways .
Dont forget all the men who have been taken for a ride, lost there houses , pensions , ended up in debt.
Oh well sit back and wait for abuse as usual !