'Kids respect a firm adult': Kemi Badenoch says she has intervened to stop music blaring on public transport... as she reveals her son wants to join the army

Kemi Badenoch today revealed she has personally intervened to stop people playing loud music on public transport.

The Tory leader insisted that young people respected being rebuked by a 'firm adult' - despite No10 suggesting the public should not take matters into their own hands.

Mrs Badenoch also argued that standing up for British culture was important, disclosing that her own 10-year-old son wants to join the army.

The comments, in an interview with GB News, came after Andy Burnham announced a campaign yesterday to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Those disturbing others by not using headphones face £100 fines as part of the measures, which also seek to combat littering, vaping and threatening behaviour.

However, there were questions over how the proposed crackdown will be enforced, with a Government minister admitting there would be no 'special bus police' to tackle louts.

The Department for Transport also stressed that bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement, while Downing Street said other passengers shouldn't intervene.

Asked if she would object to someone playing music out loud on the bus, Mrs Badenoch said: 'I have. I've even done so in the past. I think with young people in particular, when they see a firm adult, they actually do show respect. 

'What's happened now is that so many people are scared of intervening, and it's because they've seen things go wrong where someone intervenes and then they get into trouble. They get into trouble for it.

'Nobody likes to hear music being blasted loudly on trains, but I do worry that the Prime Minister is focusing on something that is already pretty much against the rules. There are fines in place. What I worry about is enforcement.

'Why are people not enforcing that? And it's because the ticket inspectors are scared. The train drivers don't want to get involved...

'Turn it down. But it's a culture thing. People think that they can get away with it. We need to bring back consequences for bad behaviour.'

Mrs Badenoch warned that negativity towards British culture could push the country towards French-style civil unrest.

'If you tell young people that their country is terrible, that it's okay to hate their country, that Britain is a racist place, and end up going on about imperialism and all sorts of – white privilege and all of that rubbish, then you see them burning down churches and the things that, spraying graffiti on war memorials, and that's why I always intervene,' she said.

'Some people will say that, 'Oh, why are you getting involved in culture wars?' I will fight for British culture. It's very important.'

Giving an insight into her own family life, Mrs Badenoch said: 'My son has already said that he wants to join the army. 

'He's only 10 years old, so I don't think that he actually knows what it means, and he probably wouldn't be signing up soon. 

'Maybe I should get him into cadets or something, or something like that.'

Mr Burnham's initiative on anti-social music was part of his drive to fix 'some of the everyday issues that make life a little more difficult' ahead of next week's Budget.

Local authorities gained the power to set and enforce their own rules on their bus networks this year.

And guidance published yesterday by the Department for Transport set out how the new legislation can be used.

The Government's 'share the journey, not the noise' campaign also includes reminders of the rules already in place on the rail network.

Train passengers playing music out loud can be fined up to £1,000 - or removed from the carriage at the next station - if they refuse to stop when asked by rail staff.

Ministers said authorised officers, including transport safety officials and the police, would deal with incidents on buses as part of the crackdown.

But, asked what should happen if no authorised officers were present on a bus service, Downing Street said it would not be up to fellow passengers to combat anti-social behaviour.

The PM's official spokesman told reporters: 'It is for transport safety officers, the police and other authorised officers to have the powers to act.

'The point of these changes is to give them a quicker and more effective way of dealing with persistent anti-social behaviour.

'Clearly, we're not asking the public to compromise their own positions.'

The spokesman added: 'This isn't about putting an officer on every bus and the problem isn't the same everywhere.

'What we're doing is giving local authorities the powers they need so that where anti-social behaviour is a problem, they can target their resources effectively and take action.

'There are already areas, including Greater Manchester, Leeds and the West Midlands, with officers working across their transport networks to reassure passengers and tackle nuisance behaviour.'