London riots: Prime Minister's statement in full

The Telegraph ^ | 09 Aug 2011

[markomalley]

"Good morning. I've come straight from a meeting of the Government's Cobra committee for dealing with emergencies where we've been discussing the action that we will be taking to help the police to deal with the disorder on the streets of London and elsewhere in our country.

"I've also met with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Home Secretary to discuss this further and people should be in no doubt that we will do everything necessary to restore order to Britain's streets and to make them safe for the law-abiding.

"Let me, first of all, completely condemn the scenes that we have seen on our television screens and people have witnessed in their communities.

"These are sickening scenes - scenes of people looting, vandalising, thieving, robbing, scenes of people attacking police officers and even attacking fire crews as they're trying to put out fires. This is criminality, pure and simple, and it has to be confronted and defeated.

"I feel huge sympathy for the families who've suffered, innocent people who've been burned out of their houses and to businesses who have seen their premises smashed, their products looted and their livelihoods potentially ruined.

[The Sons of Liberty]

Am I correct in assuming that the vast majority of these rioters are not Anglo Saxon Britons?

[edpc]

Where’s the Grammaton Cleric when you need one?

[all the best]

IF redistribution of wealth and taxing “the rich” are such good things, people who show some initiative and take matters into their own hands rather than waiting for the government and politicians to do the job ought to be applauded. The chickens have come home to roost in London. This is the leftist/liberal agenda stripped of its veneer.

Ideas have consequences.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

Reminds me of President Dale in Mars Attacks, after the Martians have wiped out Congress. “And I want the people to know that we still have two out of three branches of government ... and that ain’t bad!”

[oh8eleven]

I've come straight from a meeting of the Government's Cobra committee for dealing with emergencies where we've been discussing ...
Blah, blah, blah. If you had shot the rioters dead on Day 1, you wouldn't have had a Day 2, Day 3, etc.

[PLD]

It will be worse here when the Idiot and Chief is dethroned..There should be in every city a huge amount of law enforcement that will shoot to kill when it does start..

[expat1000]

What a bunch of crap. Empty words from a mealy-mouthed politician.

[cpdiii]

A handful of snipers could stop these riots. When the leaders of the riot die in front of the other rioters, it has a calming effect on their demeanor.

[MikeSteelBe]

The Grammaton Cleric is practicing his gun katas for the larger riots to come.

[relictele]

It's a metaphor for Britain today.

Given their political spectrum the chances are excellent that the victim pictured has voted Labour, thinks that criminality and ignorance are the product of racism, believes handing over cash to fuel more illegitimacy and violence constitutes 'compassion' etc.

All the high-minded ideas about community groups, community action, job training schemes etc. sound so appealing in the House of Commons and in political campaigns but in reality the unfettered handover of taxpayer cash produces mindless hulking thugs like this one.

It's almost a cliche to mention guns and self-defense but the criminals have zero fear of retaliation or suffering injury for their rampages.

Statism robs freedom and pays off criminality. The victim's bowed head says it all.

[Blueflag]

From the article - referring to burned out businesses, ‘livelihoods potentially ruined’ ...

Their livelihoods are not ruined if the socialists in power are as attentive to the needs of these hard working capitalists as they are to the ‘needs’ of the parasites provided flats and food without obligation.

[MsLady]

You would be correct. If I were the Prime Minister, I’d tell the rioters, if they are caught and are on welfare(I’m sure ever last one of them is) their welfare will be cut of permanently.

[WayneS]

Okay. I suppose cobras COULD be of use. As long as they're trained to bite rioters and not regular citizens.

"Cobra committee" Sheesh. Why not dispense with the faux-tough-sounding monikers for your ineffectual government programs and send some folks out to regain control of your streets?

There have already been 450 people arrested. We will make sure that court procedures and processes are speeded up…

Good news arrested rioters! The UK's ‘criminal catch and release’ process is going to be ‘speeded up’. That means you can get back on the streets that much quicker and rejoin your criminal cohorts!

…Parliament will be recalled for a day on Thursday so I can make a statement to Parliament and we can hold a debate…

Ooooooooooooooo. A 'statement'; and a DEBATE!! Wow! That ought to put those rioters in their place! Seriously, though, what’s to debate? Do you think some members of your parliament are going to agrgue in FAVOR of burning London?

[MsLady]

WOW, now that’s one of the best posts I’ve seen in a long time. May I use your quote about redistribution on my fb page?

[oh8eleven]

I don't disagree, but I'd rather the rioters were confronted, and shot, face to face.
I guarantee the survivors will never forget it.

[all the best]

“WOW, now that’s one of the best posts I’ve seen in a long time. May I use your quote about redistribution on my fb page?”

Yes. Please use it. I have no exclusive claim to the truth. I have been posting that this morning on FR and youtube trying to get this truth out. So have at it.

[NVDave]

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

What a steaming load.

They’re not going to do what needs to be done about these minorities and anarchist thugs. They’re going to continue to wheedle, cajole and plead with people to not take the law into their own hands, blah, blah, blah.

[ransacked]

Ah, jolly old England, nothing like a little cultural diversity to brighten your day, (and night), eh?

[ConservativeDude]

The UK is, to be blunt, a bunch of green-worshipping, carbon-footprint obsessed, multi-cultural, socialistic homos.

The idea that they will deal with this resolutely is laughable.