Zac Goldsmith, MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston has published an interesting article on how the police are prevented from using more power to stop the riots.

“How is it possible that a relatively small mob was allowed to overwhelm London last night?

These weren’t Syrian-style protests with thousands of brave people willing to put themselves in the line of danger for political freedom. London was smashed by a handful of thugs engaging in nothing more noble than vandalism and theft. It makes no sense at all.

People will give their lives for political causes, which makes policing in those situations extremely difficult. We’ve seen that throughout much of the Arab world. But rioters generally aren’t willing to die for a plasma TV or sports equipment.

That the thugs were willing to so brazenly challenge the authorities last night in their pursuit of fashion accessories surely tells us that there is something profoundly wrong in the approach used by the police.”

Continue reading on Zac Goldsmith, MP for Richmond’s blog …