Reflecting on the Riots

 The chaos we saw on the streets of the United Kingdom will leave a stain on our communities for a long time to come.

Just over a month ago, the United Kingdom descended into chaos as riots gripped our streets. Since then, rioters across the country have been front-and-centre in the criminal justice system with many people being given lengthy custodial sentences. And I fully support that. Anybody who participated in the violent disorder must be made an example of.

But we are now over a month on since those violent days, and there are many who disagree with the harsh treatment of those who took to the streets to riot. Some journalists, politicians, and even social media giants maintain that the weekend of disorder was largely peaceful. Michelle Dewberry, the infamously outspoken GB News presenter posted recently on Twitter/X tagging the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer.

“I know you’re currently busy overseeing dawn raids on 11 year olds …”

This was in response to an operation carried out by Middlesborough and Cleveland Police early in the morning on the 28th of August where they arrested an 11-year old boy in connection to the riots. The operation was filmed by Channel 4 News.

You can have an opinion on arresting children for their part in the riots we saw. My opinion is fairly clear-cut — if you are old enough to do the crime, you are old enough to do the time. Frankly, at the age of eleven, you should know better than to participate in violent disorder. Actions must be seen to have consequences, regardless of your age.

The first weekend of August 2024 was horrendous. Riots took place in many cities and as a result over 1300 people have been arrested, and over 860 people have been charged. There is no denying that what we witnessed was unadulterated criminality. I’m sorry to say, but anybody who suggests otherwise is quite simply wrong.

One example of this criminality was John Honey — a man who has now become synonymous with the riots. On the 3rd of August, wearing an England flag t-shirt, he made an appearance at every site where the criminality took place. On the 13th of August, he pleaded guilty to violent disorder, racially aggravated criminal damage of a BMW as well damaging nine other cars, in addition to three charges of burglary. He was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison. And good riddance.

Another man, David Wilkinson, pleaded guilty to violent disorder, racially aggravated criminal damage and attempted arson, and was sentenced to six years in prison. From these two sentences alone, we know that the courts are throwing the book at these people. And I will sleep better at night knowing these thugs are off our streets.

Over the next few weeks and months, we will continue to see people arrested, charged, and convicted for their roles in the riots. And we will continue to see people arguing the toss that the judiciary is being too hard on them. To those people, I say this — shut up. Seriously. These are thugs who attacked our police, destroyed our high streets, and committed obscene acts of violence on our doorsteps.

The people who participated in the violence do not care about our country in the slightest. If they did, they would not have done what they did on that weekend. They caused chaos, damage and disorder.

They brought shame and embarrassment to many and left others to clear up their mess. They are not patriots. They are, quite simply, idiotic, mindless thugs.

Reflecting on the riots is tough. Having spent many hours witnessing the scenes in my city of Hull on the 3rd of August, it still brings me enormous shame to think about what I saw. The mindless attacks on the police. The plumes of smoke over our city. The alarms ringing out from shops that had been looted. The damage that was caused to the pavements from setting fire to industrial bins. The look of terror on the faces of witnesses.

It is unforgivable and it goes without saying that I support the police, the courts, and the government in their work to root out these disgusting people and bring them to justice. I don’t care what their justification was for participating — they ought to be ashamed.