A Son of the Rock

Is anyone else slightly sickened by the outpourings of Mr Irresponsible and Boris Johnson over the recent riots in London and elsewhere.

Aren’t these two erstwhile members of the Bullingdon Club, whose activities consisted of exactly the sort of thing they were condemning?

Where is the difference between what they are said to have got up to in their youth and what we have seen on our TV screens?

I found it particularly ironic when David Cameron said the perpetrators would, “feel the full force of the law,” and Johnson that they would, “regret it.”

Did Mr Cameron feel the full force of the law?

Did Johnson regret his actions? (“We got drunk, trashed the Ritz & then went down Piccadilly to loot a few items from Fortnums” – Boris Johnson in his autobiography, 1986.)

Or is it just that they could get away with it because their daddies were rich?

I hope the rioters do not get away with it. Nothing excuses such wanton acts of violence and vandalism. (Whether their daddies are rich or not.)

Parliament has been recalled for Thursday. Expect a whole series of speeches ploughing the same themes – none of which will be along the lines of why people might have been motivated to act in this way. Get to the root of that and the problem – for there clearly is a problem – might be on the way to being solved.

I’m not optimistic. I feel further restrictions on civil liberties coming on.