Broken Britain

This week, Britain has witnessed a disgraceful spectacle which has appalled the majority of the population and caused considerable damage to our international reputation. What began as a reaction to the police’s shooting of Mark Duggan escalated into a full-scale assault against the very structure of society. The countless images of hooded thugs assaulting innocent bystanders, burning people’s houses and businesses to the ground and looting whatever they can is truly sickening. It is clear that such actions go far beyond anger at the death of an alleged drug dealer.

The riots raise many questions about the police’s judgement and their ability to deal with such outbreaks of violence. The most disturbing questions, however, revolve around why so many people were inspired to commit such acts of criminality. Why has a society that was a few decades ago one of the most ordered in the world descended to such a low level? The answers lie in the fact that Britain has undergone a continual decline in moral and social values. For many years I have argued that Britain had become a broken society. I received scornful retorts and was told that I was simply talking down society by clinging to dated and irrelevant views. I draw absolutely no comfort or satisfaction from being proved right this week.

In the last few decades increasing emphasis has been placed on adopting more liberal policies in Britain. While the thought behind such policies may have been well intentioned, the truth is that they have had the adverse effect of breaking down the very foundations upon which society is built. The previous government continually undermined marriage as an institution with the result that many children have grown up without a strong family base or a figure of authority to instil them with respect and guide them in their early years. The emphasis placed on criminal rights has also led to our justice system becoming a laughing stock. The increasing number of short sentences and community orders handed out to lawbreakers has left many feeling that they can escape being truly punished for their wrongdoings. The situation is summed up perfectly by the remarks of one fifteen year old rioter: ‘They can’t touch me, I’m still a kid […] What is the worst they can do?’ Give me a caution or a curfew I won’t obey’.

The scale of the violence we have witnessed seems to have finally awoken many to how bad the moral decline of British society has become. Ed Miliband has accepted that Labour bears a large amount of responsibility for undermining the ethics in today’s society. This long overdue admission has given me slightly more respect for the Labour leader as it suggests that he, at the very least, has come to realize that urgent action is needed to combat this problem.

The riots have also served as a wake-up call to David Cameron about the need to mend Britain’s broken society. In Opposition he made several fine promises which would have been important steps towards addressing the situation. To his great shame, however, the majority of these were dropped in the creation of the coalition and society has continued to descend into a moral black hole. He should recall his pledge to support marriage as an institution by ending the married couple’s penalty in the tax system as this would send out a clear message that the government values families as an essential part of a stable society. He should also bring in stronger punishments for criminals to make it clear that law-breaking of any kind will not be tolerated. Most of all, he should continue to emphasise the importance of the Big Society and the opportunity it offers to restore the moral and social standing of British society. It is only through making people realize that we can end the culture of individuality which has led many to feel that their own well-being is all that matters.

Cameron will undoubtedly find himself facing fierce opposition from the Liberal Democrats as well as many other groups if he does pursue such action. If he stays strong, however, Cameron has a unique opportunity to change society for the better and restore his sense of purpose and authority that has been considerably damaged in recent months. If he fails to do so, however, then I fear these riots may not be the last.