This morning BBC Radio 4’s Today programme carried a story which strikes at the heart of some of the worst social issues confronting society. In a report, called the Good Childhood Inquiry, commissioned by the Children’s Society, we heard that the aggressive pursuit of personal success by adults is now the greatest threat to British children. Family break-up, unprincipled advertising, too much competition in education and income equality were mentioned as big contributing factors. The details of Mark Easton’s report made for uncomfortable listening. But listen we must.

According to Martin Seligman, the author of Raising the Optimistic Child, he UK faces an epidemic of teenage depression, knife crime, bullying and chaos on many inner-city classrooms. Some of this I know from reporting on these topics for Tonight With Trevor McDonald: some of it I know as the mother of a troubled but compassionate teenage son who has spent the last year fighting his demons. When a charity such as the Children’s Society appoints a panel of experts to survey 30,000 people over a three year period, I think we should listen to the results.
But Today Presenter John Humphries did not. He tackled Lord Richard Layard , the principal author, as though he was a tight-lipped and evasive politician. Lord Layard clearly wanted to get his message over - after all a great deal of time and effort had gone into the survey. A great many people had been been honest - perhaps inadvertently. In the report the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, says we have become tone deaf to the requirements of children. In many cases this is true. Look at the list of children who have died this year at the hands of parents who should not have had them. Look at the numbers of children frightened and overwhelmed by schools which over emphasize the importance of league tables. The evidence is everywhere.

John Humphries had to wait only a matter of minutes to hear the details of the 33-year-old single mother who, last week, gave birth to eight children when she already had six at home, some born via IVF treatment. She is said to be negotiating deals with two TV programmes and a nappy company. Listeners were told it will cost the US taxpayer $2.5m just to get them through to childhood with the basics. We do not need to argue with the panel of experts. We need to listen.

Mr Humphries should have let Lord Layard take the floor. Every word he had to offer was of value to us all. He was not there as part of an intellectual discussion because what he had to say was important. We are always talking about learning to communicate but we need to learn to listen more.

PS> Mr Humphries talents did, however, appropriately skewer Lord Mandelson.