Recall of Parliament
North Thanet`s MP, Roger Gale , has this (Tuesday) morning welcomed the recall of Parliament (on Thursday) in order that the House may receive a statement from the Prime Minister in relation to the acts of criminality that have taken place throughout London and elsewhere in recent nights.
“It is absolutely right that Parliament should have the opportunity to hear from the Prime Minister and to question the action that is being taken and the facilities that are being made available to enforce the law, to restore order and to bring to conviction and sentence those that are responsible. Not one of us is immune from the effects of these acts of violence and vandalism – those that have not been directly damaged today may, unless appropriate action is taken, be damaged tonight or tomorrow.
In expressing sympathy with those that have suffered injury and loss and damage I think that we have also to condemn those – including some media commentators – who have sought to make political capital out of these riots and to somehow excuse the perpetrators as the victims of “cuts” or “deprivation”. What we have all seen reported on television is straightforward vandalism, theft, criminality and brute violence and it cannot be excused or apologised for in any way at all.
The robust line taken by the Home Secretary and by the Prime Minister upon his return to the United Kingdom this morning indicate, I think, how very seriously the authorities are taking these matters and I would hope and expect that every measure – up to and including the use of water cannon and, if necessary, the armed forces – is deployed to protect people and property, nationwide, from further injury and damage.
In paying tribute to the constabulary – who have certainly been stretched to the limit by unpredicted and unanticipated events over the last 48 hours – we also have to call upon the decent people of every community in the country to deny any comfort, protection or safe haven to anyone at all who has participated in, or is planning to participate in, further riots.”
So there were only 6,000 police officers on duty in London last night. It would be interesting to know how many there were on the same night a year ago. Have the looters taken advantage of cuts in police numbers coinciding with lots of police being on holiday? But tonight they have managed to swell the number to 16,000. Tell me that there will still be plenty of police on duty in Kent and other areas of the country.
ReplyDeleteWhat does this press release from the blustering Gale achieve? Seems to me that, as usual, he is simply jumping on the bandwagon of an issue that is really too serious for opportunism of his kind.
ReplyDeleteWe will just have to agree to differ, Peter. I agree that it is important that we hear from community leaders on certain issues, but it is Gale's selectivity that bothers me particularly. There are other occasions when he has been invited to comment on relevant issues but has declined to do so.
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