The Tories & riots. The case of Tottenham August 6th 2011 (they were all on holiday & didn’t rush back).
Several contenders for the Tory leadership have commented on the far right mobs causing trouble in some English cities. Given Keir Starmer’s record, which dates from 2011, one might think a pause for thought might occur before demanding that more law and order is called. That was what James Cleverly called for, once again reminding us that the name on the package doesn’t always fit what is inside. If there is one description that fits Starmer its Mr Law and Order. Meanwhile Priti Patel has called for the immediate recall of Parliament (now in recess) simply revealing that whatever holiday plans she has its not this week.
The Tottenham riot of 2011, which sparked others, is a guide to how seriously the Tories took the matter when they were in Government…
On the night of Saturday 6th/Sunday 7th August in Tottenham there was a riot in Tottenham following the shooting dead of Mark Duggan by police several days earlier.
At the time the Mayor of London was Boris Johnson. He was of course on holiday at the time in Canada with his then wife Marina touring the Rockies in a Winnebago. According to his biographer Sonia Purnell Johnson doesn’t like holidays in Britain.
Prime Minister Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Clegg and Home Secretary May were also on holiday abroad.
City Hall tried to contact Johnson and get him to return. As Purnell notes ‘not for the first time..the cry went up: Where is Boris’.
Johnson was not minded to break off his holiday to deal with unrest that had now hit 29 of London’s 32 Boroughs.
On the Monday May returned to take charge followed by Cameron. Eventually Johnson appeared in London on the Wednesday.
By that time Cameron and Clegg had already visited Tottenham. Johnson made it on the late Wednesday afternoon.
Ignoring a crisis, returning late when he realised how serious it was and making pledges about what might then happen seems to have set a template for Johnson
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