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Tony Blair admits smacking his children
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, fresh from announcing initiatives on Tuesday to deal with problem parents and their unruly offspring, admitted smacking his older children.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, fresh from announcing initiatives on Tuesday to deal with problem parents and their unruly offspring, admitted smacking his older children.
Blair's admission came on a BBC television question and answer session with members of the public about his "respect" measures, unveiled earlier in the day to tackle anti-social behaviour.
The 52-year-old prime minister was put on the spot about his own parental discipline when the presenter asked: "Do you smack your kids? Did you? Did it cause a problem?"
Blair, who has four children aged five to 21, replied: "No, I think, funnily enough, I'm probably different with my youngest than I was with my older ones."
Misunderstanding his reply, the presenter, Kirsty Wark, said: "What, you do smack the younger one?"
"No-no, no-no," Blair said. "It was actually the other way round but... I think, look, this smacking... I mean, I agree with what you just said, I think everybody knows the difference between smacking a kid and abusing a child.
"But I, if I can honestly say this to you -- I think the problem is when you get these really, really difficult families, it's moved a bit beyond that," he added, referring to new proposals that include a National Parenting Academy.
Smacking children has been a source of sporadic political debate in Britain over recent years.
Mild smacking is allowed under a "reasonable chastisement" defence against common assault.
But smacks that are so hard they leave marks are outlawed and punishable by up to five years in prison.
Child protection charity the NSPCC, among others, has said the legislation is flawed and physical punishment of children should be outlawed completely as it is in a number of European countries.
Responding to Blair's admission, NSPCC said in a statement: "Of course parenting can be hard work.
"But there are better and safer ways to discipline your children than physical punishment such as praising the behaviour you want to encourage, whilst ignoring the smaller problems that children soon grow out of.
"The NSPCC believes children should have the same legal protection from being hit as adults do."
