London riots

It is a reflection of my age that I still remember the Handsworth riots of the late summer of 1985. The name Moledina brothers, two brothers who lost their lives during the troubles, is also vivid. This weekend’s trouble in London transported my memories back to that period. At the time, various reasons were offered for the riots, the most prominent of which referred to the bubbling racial and social tensions, poor police-community relations and general lack of opportunity. None of these reasons apply to the weekend’s trouble – it was mindless criminality pure and simple. The calm looting, and the trying on of looted attire, offers a miniature glimpse of anarchy and lawlessness.

That does not mean that social factors are irrelevant. Once all the cuts in social spending begin to bite, we may well end up in a situation similar to the 1980s. Paid for higher and further education means there will be a lot of young people who will be discouraged from studying, while the slump in the number of jobs available means there will be no ready jobs market to take them. A large number of young people with nothing to do is never a healthy sign for social stability.