Sir – Although it would be very easy to blame the riots on the coalition’s cuts, that would be too simplistic.
It is also too simplistic to describe, as David Cameron did, the behaviour of the youths involved as “criminality pure and simple”.
It is understandable that the Prime Minister does not want to be seen to just explain them away but there has to come a point where there is an analytical response.
The majority of us have a stake in society and although we may strongly disagree with a government or a particular issue, we use the paths open to us within a democracy to do that legally and peacefully.
We live in the most unequal society in Europe with an obscene gap between rich and poor.
Anyone who has read The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett would be aware of their analysis that shows outcomes in crime, health and education can be shown to be better in more equal societies.
In 2006 David Cameron said: “The first thing is to recognise that we’ll never get the answers right unless we understand what’s gone wrong.”
If the Prime Minister still believes in tackling the causes of the problem and not just the symptoms he would do well to hold an open debate on how we can make our society more equal and give everyone a stake in its success.
Richard Boorn
Worcester
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