There is Nothing 'Inevitable' or 'Understandable' About Rioting

Those of us on the left like to believe that we are on the 'nice' side of politics. Left wingers tend to advocate good things like help for the disadvantaged, fair taxation, and social tolerance. My own view is that this is broadly the best place to be in terms of political positioning. Every now and then, however, those on the left undermine that theory and make me wonder whether they are really standing up for the right things.

The latest example of this is the response to fierce rioting in London - and now, as I write, Birmingham - in the last view days. Most observers were united in unequivocally condemning the rioters, who tore through the streets attacking the police, smashing up property, and looting local businesses. Despite this general consensus, a few on the harder left tried to present the riots as the inevitable consequence of Government economic and social policy.

Former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, for example took the opportunity to attack the coalition's cuts shortly after the Tottenham riots on Saturday:

“The economic stagnation and cuts being imposed by the Tory government inevitably create social division. As when Margaret Thatcher imposed such policies during her recessions this creates the threat of people losing control, acting in completely unacceptable ways that threaten everyone, and culminating in events of the type we saw in Tottenham.'

He was joined by socialist campaigner Peter Tatchell, who tweeted the following:

Well-off communities don’t riot. #Riots occur in deprived areas. Mere coincidence? I don’t think so. Injustice > riots #Tottenham #MetPolice

In these comments, therefore, both Livingstone and Tatchell attempted to imply that the riots had a degree of justification and could have been avoided were it not for the dogmatic policies of the Tory-led government.

Not only is this offensive to any notion of moral responsibility, it is also factually questionable. The people seen looting shops on Saturday night did not seem to be crusaders against the cuts. They are clearly not the same people who flocked to London for the TUC march earlier this year. Rather, they are criminal opportunists who spotted a chance to get something for nothing and took it.

There is not and will never be any justification for the violence seen in the last few days. The victims of this behaviour will not be members of the government (whose leaders were not even bothered enough to return from their holidays), the Conservative party (not many Tory voters in north London), or the evil bankers (still earning their bonuses). Instead, it will be small business owners, individual police officers, and the hard-working majority of residents in these areas. It will be people like the Turkish immigrant interviewed on BBC News, whose van was destroyed in the riots, preventing him from working as a painter and decorator and from supporting his family.

The people seen taking part in riots today do not warrant sympathy for the 'injustice' they have suffered at the hands of the government or the police. They forfeited their right to be heard when they started destroying homes and livelihoods. Until commentators on the left like Livingstone and Tatchell start standing up for hard-working Londoners and condemning looting opportunists, their prospects of winning back the support of the public will be like most of north London - up in smoke.