LONDON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) — British Prime Minister David Cameron Monday promised to mend Britain’s “broken society” during his first set-piece speech since the riots which struck London and other English cities last week.
Cameron vowed an “all-out war on gang culture” in the face of “a wake-up call” for the country after “social problems that have been festering for decades exploded in our face.”
He also confirmed that his government would review the relating policies over the next few weeks in a bid to tackle the causes of the violence.
Speaking in his parliamentary constituency of Witney, in Oxfordshire, Cameron admitted that the riots were caused by many social and cultural problems, not least the anti-social and irresponsible behavior of rioters.
He placed the blame on “children without fathers; schools without discipline; reward without effort; crime without punishment; rights without responsibilities; communities without control.”
Cameron also criticized the policies of past governments which had pulled back from tough policing and extended the already extensive welfare system.
“Some of the worst aspects of human nature have been tolerated, indulged –sometimes even incentivized–by a state and its agencies that in parts have become literally demoralized,” the Prime Minister said.
In the speech, Cameron put pro-family policies at the heart of future government domestic policies, saying “if we want to have any hope of mending our broken society, family and parenting is where we’ve got to start.”
Arrests were continued in the wake of the riots with police saying there have now been nearly 3,000 arrests. Courts have been working around the clock to cope with the cases. About 1,300 people have been charged, of which 1,000 have stood in court.
In Birmingham, where serious violence broke out last Monday and Tuesday, a peace rally was held Sunday. The rally was in memory of three Asian men who were killed when a car was driven across their bodies as they stood on the pavement protecting their community. Police have arrested and charged two men with murder in relation to the incident.