A three-word answer to the question, who is to blame?
I realise that this is a tad simplistic, but bear with me: I’ve been subjected all day to Left/Right jargo-bollocks about what these lootings/riots are ‘all about’.
It’s a complex issue – that much, I believe, most thinking people can agree about. But attaching the general area of blame isn’t actually that difficult.
In 1959, the newly elected Conservative Government abolished retail price maintenance. This paved the way for Supermarket multiples to rip the heart out of thousands of communities all over Britain. The Minister for Health Enoch Powell enthusiastically opened Britain’s borders to Afro-Caribbean immigration.
In 1964, Labour came to power with a mandate to ‘reform’ the education system in favour of the Comprehensive model of secondary education. This abolished the 11-Plus, and brought free State Grammar Schools almost entirely to an end.
Apart from a brief period after 1970, between 1964 and 1979 Labour was the Establishment Party. Illiberal Trade Union influence over the Mother of Parliaments, mad feminism, Left-dominated local government and education, the tolerance of Hard Leftists within the grass roots Party, and rampant borrowing-fuelled inflation were all established during this era.
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher’s Right-dominated (‘anti-Wet’) Conservative Party gained and retained power for 18 years. Big Bang, deregulated business practices, the destruction of labour-intensive industrial communities, globalist competition, trickle-down socio-economics, centralisation of government, the neutering of backbench MPs, unaccountable civil servants, ROI obsession and the starvation of the Arts were all established during this era.
After an anti-climax John Major Conservative ‘wettish’ Administration after 1992, Blairite New Labour came to power in 1997. An independent Bank of England, further City deregulation, Secret Family Courts, feminist quota legislation, the multicultural model of society, the illegal Iraq War, ‘diverse’ policing, affirmative racial action, prison overcrowding, police politicisation, NHS bureaucratisation, GP enrichment, and huge gold sales all took hold during this era.
After 2003, deficit economics and the encouragement of financial services output were mainstays of Labour policy. Harriet Harman became Minister for Families, and did everything in her power to undermine them. No economic restructuring took place.
In May 2010, David Cameron brought a cobbled-together Coalition to power. It immediately instigated a reversal of deficit economics, and instituted long-overdue Government expenditure cuts that seriously compromised the ability of both the armed forces and the police to perform their duties.
There really is no need to spell out the point here. But sod it – I will anyway: if only to remind myself what I’m on about as senility approaches.
After 1959, small business, communities, educational standards, life balance, responsible local government, families, marriage, judicial openness, personal responsibility, manufacturing, creativity, meritocracy, the rule of law, legislative power balance, infrastructural investment, and sound fiscal practices were all eroded and gradually undermined.
At the same time, unrestrained immigration, bigoted gender politics, illiberal political agendas, government secrecy, administrative careerism at the expense of the nation, undemocratic Cabinet Government, credit consumption and process at the expense of creativity were all encouraged.
Why is anyone surprised that, as I write, Treasury insolvency, ineffectual armed forces and police, privacy invasion, barely literate looters, banking irresponsibility, four kids by three mothers, self-pitying loafers, unaccountable Ministers, vast inequities of wealth, desperation, violence, community degradation and economic stagnation dominate our media?
The blame can be pinpointed with three succinct words: the political class.
The Slog 