The Conservatives are about to get a monumental shoeing at the upcoming election and it will be thoroughly deserved. If the old style conservatives ( pre 2010) were one thing they were pragmatic and prepared to shunt their swivel eyed loons off to obscurity, now the ideologues are in the ascendant and have driven the car off the cliff.
Policing as we know it is totally ruined in this country and it will require a monumental effort to rebuild it, likewise given the state of our armed forces the conservatives can no longer claim to be the party of law and order or of strong defence. I agree that some things should never be in the care of the private sector, policing, defence and the justice system being at the top of the list. With regard to defence I remember around 2010 the idea of GOCO (Government Owned Contractor Operated) was being mooted, this meant that the government would own the asset i.e the warship etc and it would be operated by private contractors. This was a step too far even for the conservative party and the idea was dropped.
What will happen post election? depends on the size of the majority. The conservatives will dissolve into factional in fighting as labour did in '80's, the labour loons with little to do but make mischief will appear. I see an enquiry into Orgreave has been promised as a sop. I reckon the police abolitionists will start getting noisier as well.
At some time it will become clear that UK policing has been totally destroyed and that Cameron, May et al were the architects, will they be held accountable? Of course not. Both the right and the left see the police as a scapegoat for real or imagined maladies. I would no longer claim that UK policing is the envy of the world. The question is to what country should we look as an ideal? How do we rebuild?
I don't know what will prompt the sort of change we need. Predictions are all very well, but sometimes it's an event from left-field that sets off a change reaction. I think serious public disorder, worse than anything we saw in the 80s, might do it. Until then, all of our politicians seem happy to stick their fingers in their ears and sing la-la-la.
One thing politicians of all persuasions are terrified of is large scale public disorder. It absolutely screams that you are not in control. Crime is acceptable up to a relatively high level or until the political/media class are involved.
For my sins I did a short stint at HMIC in 2003, during that time there was disorder in Wrexham between the locals and asylum seekers ( nothing is new). The Home Office was like an anthill that had been poked with a stick with much wailing of 'this is the breakdown of social order, what shall we do'. It took one of the HMIC staff with local knowledge to reassure them that what happened was usual behaviour on that estate.
I think it depends what the trigger incident is but trigger incident there will be.
Yes, you should have seen them after 7/7, they were convinced there would be large-scale rioting. You're right, it's the only time you see the powers-that-be blink.
Hilarious. Funny. Sadly, true. The volume of police voters will never influence the outcome of an election, even if every police officer and their spouse voted unanimously. So ithe cops dont really matter on the larger scale of things. Teresa May was the clown who broke UK policing. Starmer is a feeble leader, look at his history. And UK voters are about to hand one of the world's top 10 economies into his hand? Oh but, what did the conservatives do? Bottom line, its all a joke. Look at the globally televised PM question time and tell me you take that circus act seriously? Seriously?
On a different not, I have worked with police in several countries. The UK still has the best in the world. No doubt in my mind about that. But the gap is closing and soon, we may not have the best. And it's not because others are improving so dramatically. UK policing is in a decline. Starmer, get a grip!
Interesting, but not surprising to read today that “almost six in ten (58%) would “almost never” trust politicians to tell the truth when in a tight corner and eight out of ten voters (79%) say Britain’s system of governance needs to be improved “quite a lot” or “a great deal”.” (BBC News).
It would appear that most politicians on the big two parties are more interested in their partisan power than actually trying to improve anything. Just about every public service has been systematically dismembered. If only I wasn’t in an age demographic that was going to rely on them in the next decade or so…. Oh shit. Where’s the bottle opener?
I love you when you’re angry. Thank you for speaking on behalf of so many.
:D
I laughed and cried reading this Dom, if you were a political party you would get my vote!
A different perspective from an ex-RHKP officer (still there): https://www.walterdehavilland.com/british-policing---whats-to-be-done.html
The Conservatives are about to get a monumental shoeing at the upcoming election and it will be thoroughly deserved. If the old style conservatives ( pre 2010) were one thing they were pragmatic and prepared to shunt their swivel eyed loons off to obscurity, now the ideologues are in the ascendant and have driven the car off the cliff.
Policing as we know it is totally ruined in this country and it will require a monumental effort to rebuild it, likewise given the state of our armed forces the conservatives can no longer claim to be the party of law and order or of strong defence. I agree that some things should never be in the care of the private sector, policing, defence and the justice system being at the top of the list. With regard to defence I remember around 2010 the idea of GOCO (Government Owned Contractor Operated) was being mooted, this meant that the government would own the asset i.e the warship etc and it would be operated by private contractors. This was a step too far even for the conservative party and the idea was dropped.
What will happen post election? depends on the size of the majority. The conservatives will dissolve into factional in fighting as labour did in '80's, the labour loons with little to do but make mischief will appear. I see an enquiry into Orgreave has been promised as a sop. I reckon the police abolitionists will start getting noisier as well.
At some time it will become clear that UK policing has been totally destroyed and that Cameron, May et al were the architects, will they be held accountable? Of course not. Both the right and the left see the police as a scapegoat for real or imagined maladies. I would no longer claim that UK policing is the envy of the world. The question is to what country should we look as an ideal? How do we rebuild?
I don't know what will prompt the sort of change we need. Predictions are all very well, but sometimes it's an event from left-field that sets off a change reaction. I think serious public disorder, worse than anything we saw in the 80s, might do it. Until then, all of our politicians seem happy to stick their fingers in their ears and sing la-la-la.
One thing politicians of all persuasions are terrified of is large scale public disorder. It absolutely screams that you are not in control. Crime is acceptable up to a relatively high level or until the political/media class are involved.
For my sins I did a short stint at HMIC in 2003, during that time there was disorder in Wrexham between the locals and asylum seekers ( nothing is new). The Home Office was like an anthill that had been poked with a stick with much wailing of 'this is the breakdown of social order, what shall we do'. It took one of the HMIC staff with local knowledge to reassure them that what happened was usual behaviour on that estate.
I think it depends what the trigger incident is but trigger incident there will be.
Yes, you should have seen them after 7/7, they were convinced there would be large-scale rioting. You're right, it's the only time you see the powers-that-be blink.
What a brilliant piece of writing
Hilarious. Funny. Sadly, true. The volume of police voters will never influence the outcome of an election, even if every police officer and their spouse voted unanimously. So ithe cops dont really matter on the larger scale of things. Teresa May was the clown who broke UK policing. Starmer is a feeble leader, look at his history. And UK voters are about to hand one of the world's top 10 economies into his hand? Oh but, what did the conservatives do? Bottom line, its all a joke. Look at the globally televised PM question time and tell me you take that circus act seriously? Seriously?
On a different not, I have worked with police in several countries. The UK still has the best in the world. No doubt in my mind about that. But the gap is closing and soon, we may not have the best. And it's not because others are improving so dramatically. UK policing is in a decline. Starmer, get a grip!
During my 30 years in the Met I served at nine different stations. Seven are now closed.
Wonderful incisive piece. Showed it to my wife an ex nurse who said this could be written about the NHS.
Absolutely brilliant.
Interesting, but not surprising to read today that “almost six in ten (58%) would “almost never” trust politicians to tell the truth when in a tight corner and eight out of ten voters (79%) say Britain’s system of governance needs to be improved “quite a lot” or “a great deal”.” (BBC News).
It would appear that most politicians on the big two parties are more interested in their partisan power than actually trying to improve anything. Just about every public service has been systematically dismembered. If only I wasn’t in an age demographic that was going to rely on them in the next decade or so…. Oh shit. Where’s the bottle opener?
Sehr wahr !
1. The tories are doomed.
2. Policing is irretrievably broken.
3. No gvt or perspective gvt has the cash or will to remedy policing.
4. May & Cameron will never be held to account for their actions.
5. Most folks don't give a toss.