By Simon Wright (Personal column)
SO, ‘BROKEN Britain’ lies in ruins after last week’s horrific scenes of rioting and looting across the country. Note to toy manufacturers, no batteries have been included in these burnt out shops, homes and businesses. Some shops look like the burnt out shell that was The Loft nightclub after the 2009 fire in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, whilst others remain open for business as if last week was a storm in a teacup.
It wasn’t though. Approximately 3,000 arrests have been made by police, with at least 60 per cent of these having been charged for the crimes. The damage is likely to end up reaching £1billion pounds and it is a dreadful promotion for the capital city, with the 2012 Olympics now less than a year away. Chelsea Ives, one of the rioters, was an Olympic ambassador. That’s an embarrassing image sight for the organisers and I’m pleased the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has backed us. I’m shocked to realise that we have so many idiots in our country. London was the worst hit, but there were also severe disturbances in Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Bristol, with minor damage reported in Nottingham, Gloucester, Oxford, Wolverhampton, Milton Keynes and West Bromwich. So, why did we end up all fearing for the establishments we live and love last week in the worst riots seen in this country for many a generation. Many reasons have been given, which I will go into detail later on in this blog.
First of all, as I tuned into Sky throughout Monday night last week, I was appalled to see what was happening. It shook me to a core and I felt sick to the stomach. Anger was building up inside me; as the pictures saw London look like a disaster movie, with many industries looking as battered and bruised as you would if you’d taken on Mike Tyson in his prime. I was leaving the country in 48 hours time and when I heard of trouble reaching my own hometown, I started to wonder what I would come back to. Luckily, it has calmed down since then, but the damage has been done and left so many heartbreaking stories.
Ashrof Rassle is brave to say he still loves this country and wants to stay. The Malaysian student is recovering in hospital after he was attacked and robbed on the streets by thugs. The video was recorded and uploaded to YouTube and is an absolutely disgraceful act. I feel massively for Trevor Reeves, who could only watch in horror as his local furniture store burnt down in Croydon. It had survived two World Wars and lived through four generations of family, what a tragic way for the business to end. Then there’s Richard Bowes, who was attempting to remonstrate yobs that set fires to bins near his home in Ealing, only to be beaten to death in an act of cynical behaviour. Finally, there are the three young lads in Birmingham, who were protecting their livelihoods (businesses and mosques) and ultimately paid the price, with their lives. I’m so proud to see the community of Birmingham come together at a time of such overwhelming tragedy.
The government has taken a load of stick for their handling of the carnage to have descended on the UK and some of it is fully merited. More organisation has to be used around holidays, with rotas the only way forward. I’m sorry, but you cannot have the five main figureheads of the country (Home Secretary, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Mayor of London and Chancellor) on holiday at exactly the same time. The one politician I did feel sorry for was Boris Johnson. He was heckled in the streets, but he was trying to help and also got involved in the cleanup in Clapham. It got worse when Boris was bullied in an interview last Tuesday night (August 9) by ITN anchor and Daily Mirror columnist Mark Austin. Johnson did really well to get his points across, despite Austin’s ignorant attempts to butt into his answers. The way he handled the interview was very professional and dignified. As for Austin, it was a foul piece of journalism and a bad example of how to do it. For me, a respected news anchor dropped the ball here.
As the week has progressed, I have been deeply unimpressed by the way David Cameron has handled this national crisis. If I knew he was going to be this bad, maybe he should have stayed in Tuscany after all, sipping his precious cappuccino! Despite the destruction, he still wants to cut 16,000 jobs on the police front. What on earth is he doing! Has he had his eyes shut throughout? If anything, we need more police on the frontline as the anarchy broke out. I’m afraid Mr. Cameron has been just as clueless of late as Arsene Wenger! One message to Dave; I’m sure they do decent deals on priceless coffees at Starbucks if you really are that desperate for a caffeine boost!
Last Thursday, he did say this in an emergency Commons debate; “And to the lawless minority, the criminals who have taken what they can get. I say this, we will track you down, we will find you, we will charge you, we will punish you. You will pay for what you have done.” At least he has stuck to that, with magistrates working 24 hours a day to send a lot of the criminals into prison cells for their actions. However, boot camps might have to be the way forward, because it might teach all of them a lesson in how to behave. Any confidence I had in the coalition government has disintegrated. Nick Clegg looks like a spare part, George Osbourne would rather be somewhere else rather than the House of Commons half the time and Theresa May is under huge pressure now, probably fighting a losing battle for her job.
Now onto those who caused so much damage, fear and grief to the innocent. It is inexcusable what they have done and an utter disgrace. This was thuggery of the highest order. Some don’t look sorry at all – I’ve heard stories of them smirking in court and laughing away without a care in the world. You are a disgrace to society and I only wish we had bigger wheelie bins to tip you into! I say to the courts, lock them up and throw away the key. Boo hoo that you can’t afford the latest Nike Pegasus trainers, a Dell laptop or a 4-pack of Carlsberg Special Brew – it’s a tough life and we have all had to make sacrifices in the recession. If you don’t like it, we don’t need you in the country, bugger off onto another planet!
Despite some of the compensation packages that have been set-up by the government for affected businesses, it will end up being us that pays for most of the damage, not the loonies who did the damage. Most taxpayers wouldn’t mind seeing these clowns having benefits and hand-outs being taken away from them. It might help them learn, though that’s unlikely.
The parents need to take some responsibility too for the actions of their children. For some of the criminals, running back to Daddy is probably the best option. Oh wait, your Daddy probably encouraged you or is getting smashed out of his head at the local watering establishment! The parents must take more control of their kid’s actions. I’m pleased to have seen many parents hand their kids into the police. Well done to you, no matter how hard it must have been, you’ve done the right thing. To those parents who are protecting their violent youngsters, hang your head in shame, because you are not much better!
Historian David Starkey will also probably need to find a new occupation. His comments on last week’s edition of Newsnight have no place on television and he’d better hope that TalkSport offer him a place on their radio programming for sporting history. After all, they seem to accept those disgraced professionals who make barbaric comments on TV. Richard Keys and Andy Gray spring to mind!
After what has happened last week, I have to ask myself, do I want to be a part of this country anymore? I have to question it. Our country might recover – but it will take lots of work to repair the burnt-out buildings and shattered glass windows. I’m afraid, unless these police cuts are reviewed, the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) is restored and parents take more responsibility, this could easily happen again anytime soon.
Lastly of course, my symphonies go out to those who have lost loved ones and been significantly affected by these devastating riots.
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