As police officers come under attack in Plymouth, Darlington and Belfast, and as reports circulate that far-Right thugs are planning protests in four London boroughs, it is vital that justice urgently takes its course.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has slammed the “disgraceful scenes of criminal violence and thuggery” we have witnessed in parts of the country, and warned that the violent criminals who have been on a rampage face being locked up within days.
The comparison with the 2011 London riots is imperfect but instructive. Those disturbances saw tough sentences, including for those who only played a minor role in the breakdown in law and order. In total, 2,158 people were convicted of involvement, leading to prison sentences totalling more than 1,800 years.
There are real fears that this thuggery will spread to London. Indeed, it was only last Wednesday that more than 110 people were arrested in the capital when a protest turned violent. A list is circulating on social media which appears to have been drawn up by extremists and is being assessed by the Metropolitan Police.
Anyone involved in violence, whether in London or elsewhere, should understand that they will be identified and face the full force of the law.
Sinking feeling
Thames Water is among the firms facing a massive fine from Ofwat, after the regulator revealed it had “uncovered a catalogue of failure” resulting in “excessive spills from storm overflows”. The £104 million fine for the troubled utility is only the latest blow, coming days after credit ratings agency Moody’s downgraded its class A debt to junk.
Yet Thames Water customers may also be experiencing that sinking feeling. Only last month, Ofwat announced that water bills in the capital were set to soar by nearly £100 by 2030, after it permitted the company to raise its charges by 23 per cent. Even this might be something of a temporary solution, with a hideously costly nationalisation not out of the question.
Service must be improved. Rivers and lakes must be clean. Customers cannot be expected to continually bail out a company that has prioritised debt-funded dividends over providing decent services.
In the running
The 800 metres is widely considered to be one of the most gruelling races. But Team GB’s Keely Hodgkinson managed to make it look ridiculously easy. And she has now become the first British woman to win an athletics gold since London 2012.
With Josh Kerr competing against great rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen this evening in the men’s 1,500 metres, all eyes will be on the Stade de France. There are chances for sporting immortality wherever you look.
