Miliband: It's time to ask why this is happening

Wednesday, 10 August 2011 3:55 PM

By Ian Dunt Follow @IanDunt

Ed Miliband has given his first hints of Labour's long-term explanation for the riots hitting England, saying parental responsibility must be addressed.

Speaking during a visit to Manchester, which was hit by brutal violence and disorder last night, the Labour leader said the time had come to try and explain what was happening on the streets of urban centres.

"The reasons are complex and we must resist simplistic solutions, but they are to do with responsibility we need in our society, responsibility we need from the top to bottom of society, including parental responsibility," he said.

"The reasons are to do with gang culture which we have seen in parts of our country and we must tackle.

"We must not have a situation where people think it is okay to go out and commit such acts as we have seen.

"I don't want my kids to grow up in a society where people think that it is okay."

The comments are particularly interesting in that they do not mention spending cuts at all.

Last night, deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman clashed with education secretary Michael Gove after she suggested cuts to the educational maintenance allowance (EMA) may have been a contributing factor in the rioting.

"There is a sense that young people feel they are not being listened to," Ms Harman said.

"That is not to justify violence but when you've got the trebling of tuition fees, they should think again about that.

"When you've got the EMA being taken away, when you've got jobs being cut and youth unemployment rising and they are shutting the job centre in Camberwell – well you should think again about that."

In an increasingly highly-pitched and emotional exchange Mr Gove replied: "I used to have an enormous amount of respect for Harriet. But frankly I am appalled that Harriet can speak out of both sides of her mouth at once.

"It is ludicrous to assert that there are people who burnt down an EMI factory because they were concerned about the disappearance – I should actually say the reform - of the EMA. The idea is fatuous. It demeans Harriet even to try to make that argument."

The exchange partly revealed the potentially explosive approach both Conservatives and Labour figures have taken to explaining the riots.

Speaking outside Downing Street today, David Cameron tried to link the riots with the 'broken society' rhetoric he deployed in opposition.

"There are pockets of our society that are not just broken but frankly sick," he said.

"For me, the root cause of this mindless selfishness is the same thing I have spoken about for years.

"It is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel the world owes them something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities and their actions do not have consequences."

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