As reported in the Sunday Times a recent poll found that 48% of 15-35 year olds do not believe that there are definite rights and wrongs.

The Chief Executive of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority, Dr Nick Tate, stated ' One can only be anxious for the future of a society which has to subsist on such a fragile basis in people's conceptions of things.'

I should Coco!

In the same paper a headmaster writes 'I believe that anything we can do as a school to help parents to help themselves may be the most creative contribution we can make towards filling the moral vacuum. In an age when everyone has rights (and knows them) and respect for an accepted moral code is out, the teacher's word is no longer law'.

It would be easy to blame this sorry state onto the mealy mouthed move to Political Correctness and the production of the Citizens Charter. In truth these recent manifestations of lunacy are but nothing compared to the slippage in moral standards that occurred during the 60's, 70's and 80's.

In the 60's those who embraced the free thinking, free loving LSD induced life of the first generation to live without austerity for years gave up on the rules. The breakdown of the family unit and the removal of the sense of shame over single parenthood date from this period. It was an age of appeasement on moral issues. Confrontation, competition and discipline were out. Shrugs and rejection of rules and responsibility were in.

In the 70's the slide continued with boom and bust contributing to a sense of unease and a growing growl of greed appeared. The word 'gazzump' was born. Puppy Yuppies prowled and the cult of the young which started in the sixties was reinforced. In the slump of 74 the fear of government breakdown and anarchy was rife in the City and talk of a junta led by Prince Philip was heard. Hoarding of essential foodstuffs was commonplace. I still have some tins of stewing steak in my cellar. The pilchards went off long ago. This decade brought massive inflation which decimated savings and encouraged the 'borrow and buy it' now mentality.

In the 80s it was everyone for oneself. Begone dull caring and awa' the lads and lasses. Greed was rampant. It was see it and grab it. The cartoon character Alex epitomised the new culture which spread outwards from the City which was inflamed by Big Bang. These festivities were relatively shortlived as the crash of 87 culled some of the more bizarre excesses. But Self Regulation was dead and beating the new rules was the game. Payment in commodities like Gold, to avoid paying National Insurance, and other scams came into play. This also spread outwards from the City. The era of the massive Stock Option for senior management was upon us.

In the 90s the property market smash, the rise in unemploymnent and the the lack of vacancies for graduates and school leavers combined to produce a new, relatively educated, underclass. These discontented have access to the news via TV and newspapers. What do they see? Fat Cat management rewarding itself for sitting on its bum and saying no to any change. Advertisements on the TV offering fast cars, fine food and fabulous holidays. Why shouldn't they have some of the cake?

When the role models of the country behave in a totally odious and selfish manner those who are less fortunate and less powerful are disinclined to raise their voices in protest. Whilst politicians fail to set any standards and adultery and sleaze become the norm the ordinary citizen is neutered. Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells is silent and the man on the Clapham Omnibus is busy reading Sunday Sport. Only the vigorious action groups such as those from the far left of politics and sexuality make a noise.

The breakdown in respect for other people and their property is complete. What do 300 young men do on a Saturday night after a skinful of lager in the pub? Look for someone to kick to death of course. Preferably a Police person with a panda car to roll over. What do you do if you see a see a pensioner collecting her Giro cheque? Knock her down and drag her by her hair. Then steal her money. It's not just this type of drink or drug induced crime, it's the assaults on hospital staff and Doctors in their surgeries, the assaults on bus and train staff, the assaults on Employment Service staff and now the killing of a Headmaster.

My friend Aubrey, a demolition man who lives in a cottage in Wiltshire, had two trucks stolen from his yard deep in the forest. The thieves also stole his wielding machine.

The police could do nothing as there were no witnesses to the crime. Aubrey spoke to the thieves in the pub, he knew who they were of course, and told them that he needed his wielding machine back. The trucks were already stripped, the bodies trashed and the engines and gearboxes sold on. Aubrey spoke of getting a man down from London to break their legs,-he'd be happy because he'd still be walking-, unless they returned his wielding machine by Friday night. Sure enough on Friday evening his wielding machine was dumped outside his cottage. This is justice in the 1990s in rural England, reminscent of that of the Wild West in the 1880s.

We all need a sharp shock and not so short either. The trend must reversed. All Church leaders, Politicians, Captains of Industry and Banking, those in Education, the Police and the Law, Show Business Stars and Sportspersons must make a stand to climb out of the trough of sleaze and easy decisions and grasp the nettle of responsibility that is the true companion of success and high position in any field.

We need to look after the victims not the criminals. Any convicted murderer in the first degree should hang. Any person guilty of grievous bodily harm, armed robbery or robbery with violence should serve a minimum of 20 years hard labour preferably on the Falkland Islands.

Those convicted of fraud should be properly punished and not allowed to plea bargain and get away with community service.

The decent quiet living family which contributes to the welfare of its neighbours must become the role model for the nation. The 'Back to Basics' campaign launched by John Major had the right idea, it was scuppered by some of its protagonists visibly failing to live to its code of practice.

Leadership is what is required. I was heartened by the Expert on the Premiership who refused to take a packet of forbidden Chocolate biscuits to school for the reason that he could not repremand others if he himself was breaking the rules.

If our leaders were able to climb back to this level of responsbility and rectitude we might yet be led back from the edge of the abyss.

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