These are challenging times for the UK, that much is painfully clear. Normally after a major election, especially one with such a landslide majority ushering in a change of government, there would be period of enthused optimism. A new reality where, in England at least, people might look forward to discernible change in policy direction and on this occasion a new post-Tory era where life must surely get better than before.
Apparently not. See Labour’s attack on Scottish Pensioners’ Winter Fuel Payment and their adoption of the Tories’ Two Child Cap, it’s more austerity albeit in a different wrapper.
Even so, it was nevertheless alarming to witness these riots and to watch that violence spread from one location to another. The scenes were unbelievable, such contempt for local people, their property and the Police. Reminiscent to some of us old enough who remember the Toxteth and Brixton riots of the 1980s, although this time with right wing rage to the fore and the added poison of disinformation – an old trick which works frighteningly effectively in a world of social media.
So why these riots now and why not in Wales, Scotland or to any significant extent in Northern Ireland? This is a complex and challenging dynamic to unpack but what is clear, in case anyone was in any doubt, from the extent of the anti-racism rallies across England is that these rioters do not represent the vast majority of people living in England anymore than they represent people here.
Witness local people in Southport rallying round to restore some semblance of order to their town in the aftermath, the heroic yet clearly terrified woman with her ‘hope not hate’ banner outside the local mosque or the bricklayers offering to rebuild destroyed garden walls for free. I believe these community minded, tolerant and just people are representative of most of us wherever we live on these islands.
These riots are the inevitable result of populist right wing rhetoric landing on the fertile ground of post-industrial areas of multiple deprivation, where hope is as scarce as every other resource. We are entitled to be outraged but that won’t help anyone.
There needs to be better representation and investment in these marginalised areas of England and not the pork barrel gibberish of ‘Levelling Up’. Five Reform MPs being elected is a red flashing light to the political establishment at Westminster. They had better sit up and take notice.
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