Daily roundup 24 October: County lines, smacking, and school funding

Around 4,000 teenagers from London are being exploited and trafficked every year to sell drugs in rural towns and cities, a leading youth charity has warned. The BBC reports that as part of the "county lines" practice, gangs use children as young as 12 to traffic drugs, using dedicated mobile phones or "lines".


Most Scottish adults think parents should be allowed to hit their children, a survey has found. STV News reports that eight out of 10 Scots who participated in the poll said they had been smacked and most believe their parents were right to hit them. When asked "Should parents be allowed to smack their children?" 17 per cent of participants said "yes", while another 47 per cent said yes "in some circumstances".
 

A leading Tory party donor and sponsor of one of the most successful academy chains in the country has called on the government to put more money into schools, urging ministers to keep education a top priority despite the distractions of Brexit. The Guardian reports that Philip Harris, now Lord Harris of Peckham, said his schools had already made £12m of savings but were now facing a further 20 per cent real-terms cut in funding over the next five years.


The Youth Sport Trust has announced that businessman Neil Davidson has been appointed as its new chair. Davidson, who sat on the boards of two FTSE 100 companies, and currently serves as a trustee at an academy chain and governor at a special needs school, is set to take up the post on 1 January 2018 when current Chair Baroness Sue Campbell's term of office comes to an end.


The British Youth Council and Votes at 16 Coalition are supporting a renewed attempt to lower the voting age across the UK. On Friday 3 November parliament will debate a Private Members' Bill sponsored by Labour MP Jim McMahon which would allow all 16- and 17-year-olds a chance to vote in UK elections and referenda.