02 March 2024 , 21:45
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Rishi Sunak had us rushing to our TVs on Friday for an urgent Downing Street statement which just baffled the nation.
Spooked by George Galloway’s win in Rochdale, he said nothing we did not know, and made no major announcement beyond urging us to unite against extremism.
Yet he fails to adequately address the extremism festering in his own party. He suspended Lee Anderson for using the word Islamist about Sadiq Khan, but took no action against Suella Braverman for the same word about Keir Starmer.
Liz Truss spouts conspiracy theories and seemingly turns a deaf ear when the far-right’s vile mouthpiece Tommy Robinson is described as a hero. And there is not a peep from the PM.
To cap it all Lee Anderson pops up alongside Ms Truss to raise funds for a party he no longer represents as an MP. And what does Mr Sunak do? Nothing, of course.
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At a time when this country is in need of leadership we get a logically incoherent speech about British democracy because a freak by-election delivers a weird result.
Mr Galloway may give the PM heebie-jeebies, but he was elected on the principles on which our democracy stands. Mr Sunak became PM without a vote being cast.
The PM’s puzzling intervention gave a gobby, maverick politician a status he does not warrant. Mr Galloway has always generated more heat than light. Before lecturing us on democracy the PM should deal with the threat to it from the right wing of his own party.
We need cops
It is understandable that local authorities hire security teams equipped with handcuffs to deal with shoplifters, pickpockets, and muggers. There are not enough police.
But an industrialised Western democracy such as Britain should have no need for private police forces.
The Tories scrapped 20,000 police officers in the name of austerity, realised their mistake, and have tried to plug the gaps ever since. But think tank Onward says another 19,000 are necessary to keep streets safe.
Recruiting more officers, and finding the money to do it, should be a government priority. Police chiefs can do their bit to attract young men and women of all backgrounds by ensuring evil officers like Wayne Couzens are rooted out sooner, and changing a culture often perceived as racist and sexist.
New country
If you thought country music was a thing of the past, think again.
Thanks to TikTok, a new generation is picking up on the kind of songs our grandparents loved. Streaming of country music is up 50%, club nights are thriving and festivals attract thousands. Dolly Parton might be 78, but Here You Come Again.
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