Jeremy Vine did the voiceover for a BBC programme about the August riots, focussing on Manchester. Early on the point was made that the trouble there was probably due to the lack of success in London. Had the police there contained the rioting, the theory went, then copy cat attacks elsewhere would not have occurred.
There was no attempt to understand the reason for the rioting really, beyond a few facile comments about conditions of life and wanting some clothes. Certainly, Vine didn't trouble himself to recognise his part in causing the riots. People like him, with their idiotic views of the human condition, based on an ideological stance and what he thinks things should be like, rather than any experience, have shown the weakness on which the feral feed.
The same is true of the theory of copy cat riots. It was the weakness shown in London, as left liberal senior police officers found themselves out of their depth and froze while the city burned, that gave the thought its genesis around the country. Whilst the BBC, who probably cannot understand why so many people who are poor and misunderstood, let down their biggest supporters (the BBC) by rioting, did actually mention the damage and heartbreak caused to ordinary people, they couldn't help reverting to type.
A map of 'deprived' areas was shown and this was then overlaid with the locations of arrested rioters homes. 50% we were told came from these deprived areas. Or, to put it the way the BBC can't, half didn't. The programme didn't really tell us anything, but it was interesting to see a senior officer being so critical of colleagues in London. That he was right doesn't make it any less surprising. We wait to hear what official enquiries make of the police (in)action.
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