It’s rare that I disagree with James but I’m not quite persuaded by this:
Granted, James refers to “political dividing lines” not “policy divide” and that’s what saves his bacon. Nevertheless, is there anyone (sensible) who thinks inequality matters but you can’t ignore the impact of culture? Similarly, who thinks that so long as you have “two parent families” you can ignore or take paretal responsibility as a given. No-one. At least I hope not.David Cameron and Ed Miliband both gave speeches on the riots this morning and the political dividing lines between the two are becoming more and more apparent. Cameron argues that these riots were about culture not poverty, Miliband thinks you can’t ignore inequality. Cameron believes that society needs two parent families, Miliband that it is about parental responsibility. Cameron doesn’t want an enquiry, Miliband does.
I didn’t think either leader distinguished themselves yesterday. But then I didn’t really expect them to. This is not actually a moment for sweeping speeches and high-falutin’ rhetoric; rather it is (or would be if politics and the press worked differently) a time for some modest reflection. I’d have more respect for politicians who said that recent events had changed the way they look at matters; instead it seems that the riots, reprehensible as all may agree they were, have too often been taken as proof that existing ideas or (if you will) prejudices were correct all along.
In this respect as well, then, there’s less difference between Cameron and Miliband than perhaps there might be and one can’t quite escape the feeling that each is offering reheated political junk food. Sometimes that’s what you need to make it through the next news cycle but you’d like to think that, sometimes anyway, they might prepare something rather better.
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