Following on from the riots, we are seeing lots of politicians being exposed as rather shallow. Mr Cameron got a quite extraordinary ticking off from Sir Hugh Orde at the weekend over his pledge to use water cannon and baton rounds. Theresa May's rather foolish claim to have given operational orders to the police was also given short shrift. I notice via Tory Troll, that Boris Johnson has also been making some foolish statements on police numbers.
The difference with Mr Cameron and Ms May is that they are claiming to be issuing instructions on matters that they have no legal authority over. Boris does actually set the police budget in London, and is now claiming to oppose his own budget!
What worries me about this sort of thing is that all three of them may well get away with it. Media coverage in the UK oftyen seems to ignore hypocrisy and untruths, and (even where they are uncovered) the public doesn't seem to punish them..
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The entire response from the government seemed to be based on pure hysteria and contempt for society. Between the bungling seen by Boris, Theresa May's arrogance and Nick Clegg's 18 month old prediction of riots (now conveniently forgotten) I was thinking it'd be a surprise if any MP would get out of this with their jobs.
Unfortunately, it seems the media followed suit, favoring similar hysteria, moral panic and confrontational soundbites.
The dignity shown by some victims is severely lacking within our ideological gatekeepers. But sure, this is nothing to do with politics. Crime, poverty, police numbers and society is nothing that politicians can have an effect on. Infuriating and Alienating.
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