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July 9, 2006

In a speech regarding social justice tomorrow, Conservative leader David Cameron is expected to call for better understanding of teenagers who wear "hoodies".

Teenagers who wear hooded tops are trying to "blend in" rather than appear intimidating, Mr Cameron will say.

"The hoodie is a response to a problem, not a problem itself. We - the people in suits - often see hoodies as aggressive, the uniform of a rebel army of young gangsters," the 40 year-old is expected to state.

"But hoodies are more defensive than offensive. They're a way to stay invisible in the street. In a dangerous environment, the best thing to do is keep your head down; blend in.

"For some people, the hoodie represents all that's wrong about youth culture in Britain today. For me, adult society's response to the hoodie shows how far we are from finding the long-term answers to put things right," Mr Cameron will also say.

Hooded tops are viewed by some as characterising anarchy and social disorder.

In 2005, the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent banned hoodies after claiming youngsters were using them to hide their faces from CCTV cameras while committing offences.

As well as attracting the attention of younger voters, his speech also highlights the compassionate direction in which he wants to take the Conservative Party.

But according to Michael Brown, a former Conservative MP and newspaper columnist, traditional Tory voters may not share Mr Cameron's beliefs.

"David Cameron is pushing at the envelope with regard to his backbench support and the support in the grassroots constituencies," he told BBC Breakfast.

"I suspect this isn't going to go down well in the Bromleys and the Chislehursts."

Mr Cameron is also expected to use the controversial film Kidulthood to illustrate the problems which young people face on a daily basis. The film, set in Notting Hill, was condemned for its gritty representation of West London teenagers as criminals with no principles.

"The film gives a disturbing insight into the pressures that teenagers around there are under. It's frightening for a man in a suit to walk down certain streets at night. But think how much more frightening it must be for a child."

He will also praise charities that work with teenagers who live in inner-cities, saying that the voluntary sector can succeed where New Labour's state has failed.

Sources

• "Cameron to make 'hoodie' appeal". BBC News Online, 9 July 2006

• Jonathan Oliver "Now Cameron says: We must love hoodies". The Mail on Sunday, 9 July 2006

• "Cameron to defend 'hoodies'". Ananova, 9 July 2006