No excuses, some remedies
by Matt Grist
Make no mistake - the riots around London over the last few days were inexcusable acts of violence based on what a minority of young people think they can get away with. This isn't the time, as Ken Livingstone seems to think it is, to make direct connections between cuts in public spending and youth anger. Rubbish. In Tottenham it was anger at police actions mixed with opportunism. Last night in Hackney it was about robbery and teaching the police a lesson. Full stop. Any other explanation is just the worst kind of mealy-mouthed apology.
But although there are no excuses for the riots and looting we’ve seen, there are a few underlying factors that indirectly and over a long period help swell the ranks of youth-without-conscience. These are not necessarily the primary causes of the moral vacuum within which the rioting has taken place. They are simply things policy makers can do something about.
The first is that riots in the UK always happen in August. Is this the heat? It is certainly easier to be on the streets in warm weather but 21 degrees celsius with sunny periods is hardly boiling point. The major factor here is that the school holidays are already three weeks in, and some young people have now had three weeks of completely empty days. They are going off the deep-end as a result.
So one thing that could be done is to end the six-week summer break from school beloved of teachers and the middle classes. It doesn’t suit some young people, whose attainment in school falls afterwards, and for some, whose nutrition levels drop dramatically away from free school meals and breakfast clubs. Distribute the holidays more evenly throughout the year and even extend the school year by two weeks.
A second thing that could be done is realise that work does not exist for 16 and 17-year-olds anymore, and not very much exists for 18 and 19-year-olds either. In our service economy, employers want rounded and mature adults who can deal with customers deftly, organise their own time, communicate subtly and so on. The dramatic fall in youth employment is often painted as a failure on young people’s part – yet in fact, the world has changed and doesn’t want young people in work at all, whose only crime is often simply to be young.
In response we need far more creativity about structured education, training and volunteering for young people. There need to be a variety of long-duration courses on offer that suit all skill levels – some of these should be very practical and physical and run by organisations like Skill Force and Catch-22; others should be more creative. But all should have the continued study of maths and English at their core. While EBacc and A-levels are a great route to success we need to stop fantasising that all young people, from where we are now, can take this route and start providing a variety of alternatives.
The third thing we need is government subsidy on job creation for young people as Demos has been recommending for a long time now. The Government needs to get active in the labour market where it can.
But to finish on a different note. I agree with both Cameron and Miliband, that the deepest problem in our society, and the problem which the disgusting acts of violence of the last few days have highlighted, is the derogation of responsibility by so many. These rioters are all someone’s children, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces. If they won’t take responsibility for themselves, someone else close to them should. No excuses.
David Vinter
But Mr O'Dea, what jobs do you expect tobe 'created'? In a world with ever growing elimination of jobs by mechanization, machines will work 20 hours per day, do not complain, and even have a second hand value! In an industry I know about, 900000 workers have left agriculture since 1945, a direct result of townsfolk wanting ever cheaper food, modern arable farm machinery is huge, and many of the large arable units are managed by graduates. Industrywise even India uses large numbers of 'robots',especially in its new car plants. The fact is that in the UK,no government has planned to keep the least intelligent occupied, gone are the pickaxe jobs. The whole world cries out for jobs, but still keeps on breeding!
Jonathan O'Dea
I agree with David that mechanization has reduced the need for labour, but its amazing that voluntary opportunities/jobs can be created but the money to pay young people cannot not be found. All the money which was given to bankers to bail them out was found at the cost of the tax payer, but our leaders still struggle to pay our young people, what does this tell you? It tells you that there is picking order, were particular individuals have priory to resource over others. Further to your point around mechanization, industry has moved from Britain to China and Eastern Europe over the last 20 years, the reason for this is cheap labour. Maybe if we further create a culture in this country which ran on volunteers maybe industry would move back to Britain, yes I am been flippant.
So how does this all relate back to Matts original point? Well we can continue to expect that young people from a particular background will have no stake in society. They will have no means to find a job which actually pays, from which they will continue to steel stuff and riot. We will see that the only people who can really forward to volunteer are those young people who's parents have the means to support them in their voluntary job.
So whats the answer? The answer is, pay young people for there voluntary work were they actually learn skills and develop knowledge, from which they learn the value of money and than they can spend it on stuff instead of steeling it.
David Vinter
Johnathan, your thoughts and desires are very worthy, but what do you do with the inarticulate hat has a thought horizon no higher than football or rap noise, and a desire to to be hi on drugs? The Romans had the Circus Maximus, as slaves did all the work. Idealy they would be volunteering to look after the elderly [like me] but I really want folk with more learning around me. But then I come from a world where 'Bling' does not play a part in my status in society, had I been richer I could be a snob, but as someone taking delight in the workings of racing motorcycle engines I doubt it, but as a small boy I always asked WHY,has this simple desire gone from a modern way of living? Somehow this desire for an ever more desire for what society calls 'luxury' needs to be curbed, alongside the silly desire for ever more 'growth'.
Jonathan O'Dea
David, I don't have the answers because in reality I do not have the control of the thinking and doing of the type of person who behaved in the way that they did over the last few days. However, you have actually hit the nail on the head yourself, the horizon of some of these people is to 'only' listen to rap music and go and watch football. But there is loads of individuals out there who also do the same but they also go to work, come home to their friends and family and 'not' rob and put people lives in danger. These 'normal' people have different aspersions and horizons and probably have greater variety to their lives because some were down the line they learn to articulate there wants and needs in life. Unfortunately we live in society if you cannot speak the why we do you are going to struggle.
A friend said to me today, 'people don't really care if these young people kill each other, but once it slips over into general society and starts effecting our sensibilities we suddenly start to care, than it becomes a major problem'. The problem now is that the contentment of these young people has failed, these young people have crossed the line; the question is what do we do now? I think we still need to provide young people with the chance to prove themselves. There will always be those who will not take up the opportunity or don't know how to. But there is far more young people who will take up that opportunity given half the chance.
Like you David I like the simple things in life, but I also have decide to keep my head out of the sand and to continue to look at how we can improve society, and I think you do as well. I also feel that other well behaved young people also have role to play to confront the bad behavior of the type of person we seen over the last few days. I don't think that adults telling young people what to do will always work in the end. But as adults we can try and provide choices, if the youth of today don't want those choices, than they will have to suffer the consequences of their decisions. At least at the end of the day I can turn around and take the higher moral ground, and say, 'I did offer'. But also young people have to feel that they have to ability to ask for help and support when they need it.
Patrick Hogan
The holidays? Really?!
David Vinter
Watching TV,I've had another thought---Ido on occasion!
Has not the world of ever more blatant advertising tecniques and the methods they use to condemn those without the latest, most expensive, gaudiest new product as a worthless individual a lot to do with our troubles!
Jonathan O'Dea
I read Jamie Bartlett article (Both the Left and Right see the London Riots as the Flashing Illumination of a Dark Malaise) in today's Times on-line and he raised the question around 'recreational violence' and the connection to the recent riots. This article got me thinking about Davids earlier comments, describing the type of people who were involved in the recent riots, as people who have a 'horizon no higher than football or rap noise, and a desire to be hi on drugs'. The link I have made is that football and football hooliganism in particular are a form of recreational violence, and possibly a shared common identity with other people. Football hooliganism was never really associated with political opinion but was part of sub-culture were young men asserted there authority to gain status within a given environment or group; the recent riots could be viewed in the same way. But with the ban on hooligans from football games and with the high price to go and see a live football match this has pushed these individuals into another arena, the streets. Most of these individuals come from working class backgrounds were nearly most of their cultural out-lets have changed or have rejected them for ether good or bad reasons.
So what do working class people do now to let of steam, they hang out on the streets and on estates been supplied with drugs and when the opportunity comes up riot and loot, and if they have time in between, listen to rap and hip-pop. This has now become their culture, and its reinforced by their friends around them. I am speculating here, but with the killing of Mark Duggan, a spark was created were the young people saw this as personal attack on their culture (gang) and environment (territory). With this we saw a escalation in the type of rioting which we haven't seen for while in London, which has made this story more compiling, shocking and close to the bone. The question is who is going to push next and to what end.
Joe Lane
Matt, nice article. I wanted to enquire about a very interesting point that you touch upon.
Where did you get figures for levels of attainment and nutrition dropping off over the summer holidays?
This could be a powerful argument in the future development of education policy.
Kevin Ward
The government is 'looting' the general public for the wrecklessness of the unregulated world financial sector through cutting local government spending powers -youth services have been drasticaly cut. EMA gone as well as the 'Connextions' service, the very support mechanisms that young people need.
As well as overpriced fees of £ 9k giving students a lifetime of debt and a barrier to taking the opportunity to study in Higher education.
Now they want to evict people for committing a criminal offence.
Pictures are shown of the Aylsebury estate in Southwark even though the person concerned lives in Wandworth but any estate will do satisfy the 'screaming' headlines to feed the anger for justice. What a load of old cobblers. Anybody who has any grain of basic case law can see the full due process has to be served like genuine eviction cases. 28 Day notice to comply with breach of tenancy agreement e.g. more than 8 weeks rent arrears. and even then most case are adjourned or suspended possesion orders are put in place and if this is breached then an eviction can be forced and even then they present as homeless and the whole rehousing cycle begins again. Thats why its more trouble and expensive and negoiated aggreements are always the best option unless it is a management move or swop as part with all parties in agreement especially if flats are used as drug dens or tenant escaping domestic violence.
'Vacarious liability' does not work in housing law in other words parents cannot be evicted because son goes to magistrate court over 'any' offence likewise children cannot lose their home because the actions of their parents remember non payment of council tax is heard in a magistrate court and is a criminal offence but you cannot lose your home over it but you can go to prison unless you have a repayment plan in place. So newspapers/media outlets are agenda setting just to sell a few newspapers and reinforce the establishment line .
What people and politicians should be discussing is how to tackle the inequalities in our society noting that we have the largest youth unemployment since the war and Tottenham the largest (young) jobless in London and with 75% cut in youth services does not help. Unfortunately for us it will fall on deaf ears. To refuse to recognise the causes of the riot is to make it more likely to recur. Meanwhile the selfserving establishment media will do there best to discredit any practical solutions because it will cost money (even reversing the cuts in the Met Police where they were severly out numbered when the riots kicked off ). Politicans should go back and re-read the Gifford report and Scarman report from previous riots and look at the recomendations and Apply where relevent. Something that was even clear to Michael Hesitine with regards to the Liverpool riots.
David Vinter
But Mr Ward, 60 years ago most every young 12 year old boy had a part time job, either after school or at weekends. This was not as the hard left cry out 'slave labour' it taught the lads how to become adult, was very useful to one man employers, delivered goods to households. And gave the youngsters a pound or two of their own. Helped to reinforce practical maths weighing up bulk goods to smaller packs.But now every new regulation , labour laws, and the high cost of insurance have foreclosed on this route to adulthood!
Malcolm Rasala
Don't you just love the worshippers of property is all brigade. How dare anyone question their devotion, their religion their total abasement to their little god of things. No thought about human beings and the initial cause of the riots the killing (? murder) of a young man by the police. Not a word above about this death; this first cause. No, no, no the petty middle class obsession with property is all. Forget about the young man shot twice by a gun weilding policeman. That does not matter. Life is cheap. Property is all. Pass the sick bag Alice.
Malcolm Rasala
So the IPCC report says the police shot an unarmed man; the spur to the riots. All these think-tankers with their specious remedies like Matt Grist are proved wrong. The sense of injustice and police brutality that fired the riots is proved correct. We await the apologies from Matt and his think-tank buddies. We will not hold our breath.
A side observation: there is no such thing as progressive conservatism. It is a contradiction in terms. The reality, witness the sale of Northern Rock to Richard Branson, is the same old Tories grabbing as much as the tax take for themselves and their friends as they can. We now learn from the FT that £250 million of the price George Osborne gained for the taxpayer is actually coming out of the assets of Northern Rock (we owned) so we are actually funding Richard Branson to buy Northern Rock. A building society by the way demutualised by a conservative government. And we are told these guys are competent in economics!!!! At lining theirown grubby pockets they are past masters.
So'progressive conservativism' comes down to a very simple reality. Limit the amount ordinary people can gain from the gross tax take. Maximise the amount conservatives can gain. It is that simple. And all these pretty policies thought up by conservative wonks like Matt and his Tory buddies are just a cover for this obscene greed. And then they have the audacity to throw their hands up in horror when the poor and deprived copy this greed. 100% hypocrisy from moral inadequates.
David Vinter
OK, so I voted tory at the last election to get rid of Brown. Now retired I have been a very small employer in the past. I paid well and never asked anyone to do anything I wasn't prepared to do myself. Funny I never had a great ambition to be rich, just happy. But then Iwas born to a workaholic father that had me working most weekends from age 12. I also come from a none smoking none drinking family descended from one grandfather a farm worker the other a docker! The biggest trouble we have is that
'Professional# politicians know little of the real world.
Gabriella D
1. There are countries where it is a lot hotter in August and summer holidays are a lot longer (10+ weeks). Yet, there are no riots there.
2. Most rioters were older than 16 -> the riots have nothing to do with the schoolyear.
3. We have been told over and over again that the rioters are only a very small segment of the society. So will all children in the UK have to lose their summer holidays just because a small segment of society is unable to provide structure in their children's life in the summer? How is this democracy?
4. "work does not exist for 16 and 17-year-olds anymore, and not very much exists for 18 and 19-year-olds either" - this is only true if we mistake "work" with "paid work". You don't have anything to do in the summer (or the whole year)? Go to a library and learn a language. With the audiovisual resources that exist these days it is quite possible and it would keep anyone busy for the better part of two-three years. That will be your "work" and the "what to do". It may even help the person to get a better job. And this is only an example, there are lots of things one can find to do - free. I suppose libraries were free in Croydon at the time of the riots?
5. "whose only crime is often simply to be young." .. and uneducated due to having occupied themselves with things other than doing their homework .... that they lack social skills not because they don't see how other people behave but because they don't give a d-mn...
In any case, I don't think people who keep making excuses for those who don't want the responsibilities in society, just the rights can be persuaded otherwise. But all in all I will be very upset and ready to fight if it turns out that all UK children will lose their already very short summer holidays for reasons like this.
Jonathan O'Dea
I agree to some extent with some of Matt Grist article, and in summery Matt is suggesting that a vacuum has been created were a section of our youth are falling into. What that vacuum is, I am not sure? However, if we are not careful this vacuum could be filled ether by the far right, or other fascist groups who hold beliefs around religion or politics. With the erosion of the Labour movement young people do not have since of common identity to hold onto and share. Were do young people go if they have issues, or just want to vent their general anger? I do not see the Labour movement recruiting in working class areas, and the reason for this is that the middle classes who run the Labour movement do not know what to do with these young people.
Yes create jobs for 16-18 year old's, but make sure they are paid for their efforts. We have created over the last 15 years a culture of volunteering with verity little opportunity for young people to develop genuine skills which will lead them up the social ladder. Pay young people, show them the value of labour and than they will start having a greater understand of the value of life and the value of other people around them.