Last week was a tumultuous one for our country. Violence and lawlessness blighted a number of Britain’s streets as a small minority intent on anarchy, and without any consideration for their fellow citizens and their communities, sought to bring chaos to the lives of the vast law-abiding majority. The criminality witnessed on our streets was rightly condemned and I was pleased that Parliament was recalled for a day to allow the Prime Minister to make a statement to the country. A packed House stood together in its determination to rebuild our communities and to tackle those criminals who were responsible for the disorder.
Many MPs wanted to speak in the debate on the disturbances, as did I, but regrettably there was insufficient time for all to do so. I was keen to articulate my fears of economic impact of these acts of violence, destruction and theft, at a time when our economy is in the process of being rebuilt. Money which could have been spent on investment in infrastructure and services has had to be diverted to clearing up the mess and paying compensation to the people and business who have suffered. For the sake of an evening’s entertainment the senseless youths who wrecked our may have seriously contributed to the downfall of their local communities – possibly for good. If any of this action was taken to protest about a lack of jobs then it would seem that their own actions will only have the result of fewer jobs as businesses are forced to close. In addition, the disorder will also have affected our tourism industry by actively discouraging people to come from across the world to visit the UK at a time when we are preparing for the great showcase of the Olympics. We can ill afford to lose out on this important source of revenue.
I have been greatly concerned by the contempt for the laws of our land shown by those participating in the unrest, many of them youngsters. Many did not see their behaviour as looting, as theft, but as an opportunity to obtain ‘free’ goods. This poses serious questions about the moral guidance we provide to our young people and is a terrible reflection of an element of our society. By contrast, I saw for myself a much more honest indication of our nation’s young people when I visited a local care home where a group of sixteen year olds from around Rugby were taking the opportunity to make a difference in their community as part of the National Citizen Service scheme. I believe those I met are truly representative of our nation’s young people; law-abiding, conscientious and hard working young citizens willing to give up their time to help those whose need is greater. It is they who provide me with the reassurance that our future will be in good hands.