CAMDEN RIOTS: Glenda Jackson says 'Send in the army!'
TUESDAY AUGUST 9, 2011
BY RICHARD OSLEY, TOM FOOT and DAN CARRIER
HAMPSTEAD and Kilburn MP Glenda Jackson said this afternoon that it is time to "send in the army" to break up riots that have swept across London and hit Camden Town and Chalk Farm overnight.
She told the New Journal: "This has been completely unacceptable. Don't give credence to the argument that these are deprived children, they all have Blackberries. It's time to send in the army and water cannons. It has all been too softly softly so far. And where are the parents?"
She added: "This is just kids having a bloody good time and it is utterly unacceptable. You don't shit on your own doorstep. It is just disrespectful and disgusting. These kids have simply lost it. They are terribly brave as a group but they are all bloody cowards."
Holborn and St Pancras MP Frank Dobson said he also wants to see swifter and stronger action. "I called the Home Secretary as I wanted to directly express the concerns of people and businesses living and working in Camden. This is clearly inexcusable and there is no social or political motive. This is arson and theft."
He added: "This has got to be stopped. This behaviour is making our city, where most people live quite happily, seem totally anarchic and uncivilised. The police must be supported and if they need to use harsher measures, then that is what they will have to do. If they see people breaking into shops, they should make arrests using snatch squads. A copper can run faster than someone carrying a stolen TV set. They need to be picked up and dealt with. The police must be allowed to use baton rounds if they need to."
Mr Dobson said the rioters were "not necessarily the most deprived young people or people who are out of work who are responsible. It seems to be other factors, especially in some areas. In the end this is the nastiest manifestation of the creed of greed. Young people need mentors and people who will set an example and there are sadly far too many examples in our society of people who do not give a stuff about anyone else. They want to simply line their own pockets at the expense of everyone else. Whether it is bonuses for bankers, MPs fiddling their expenses, coppers who take illegal handouts from Rupert Murdoch or professional footballers who get paid grotesque amounts and then behave terribly - we need to seriously think as a society how our role models behave and change that in long term."
* Twitter: The New Journal had three reporters on the scene last night for unrivalled coverage, follow live tweeting at @richardosley @tomfoot1 and @dannycarrier