The Cost of the Riots etc.

Posted By: Peter Evans
Date Posted: 10/08/2011

The cost of the looting, murdering and the general criminality that has taken place so far - amounts to over £100 million.
Every penny of that will come, either directly or indirectly, from the pockets of all of us – whether that is from taxation, the price of goods and services (especially insurance) or . no doubt we will hear some idiot assert that the money will come from the Government, the Police (who have to meet the cost of damage resulting from a riot), Fire Brigade, a Local Authority, shop owners, … the list goes on but it is us who fund all of these!
The huge figure of £100 million does not include the loss of jobs, the hardship this will bring and the compensation given to victims by Government.
Put into some kind of context, the economy in the UK is obviously damaged by the mindless criminals who seek to plunder or the thugs who seek cheap thrills challenging the freedoms we all enjoy in the UK. Compare the fate of those in Syria for example – there’s no comparison!
No Government has a bottomless pit of resources so it is perfectly correct to point out that the criminal activities of a comparative few have delayed our progress towards our recovery; delayed the introduction of increased Welfare provision or re-establishing services and benefits as these become affordable again; stalled the investment to create jobs (the jobs lost due to the criminal mayhem taking place have to be replaced for a start). We will all suffer the consequences.
In Rochdale Borough, we have learned of the 800 jobs being created by Asda at Kingsway – an announcement that every sane person will heartily welcome. Coming as it does in the wake of the £2.8 million and £1.6 million Government grants to meet the same objectives, we stand to jeopardise our progress if the same criminality is prolonged.
I hope enough people recognise the harm being done which threatens the speed of our recovery to more prosperous times. We must protect and prevent our zone becoming unattractive to those willing to build on our recent successes by providing further employment opportunities for those seeking work.
It is a sobering thought that the spiralling cost of the civil disruption that is taking place will have to be met rapidly. Fortunately for us, we do not share the economic pressures now being faced in the Eurozone – but if the criminality continues in the UK we will obviously delay our own recovery to better times. I don’t think many of us would want to share that corrosive experience.