A bloke who could have predicted the riots

On 27 November 2011, a Katherine Birbalsingh article in the The Telegraph featured the following conversation between Gordon Brown and David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, noted in Lammy’s book, ‘Out of the Ashes: Britain After the Riots’:

“Gordon came over to ask if there was anything in particular that I would like to raise. ‘Actually, there is,’ I said, noticing him look alarmed that I might be about to launch into a long speech.

‘I’M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT KNIFE CRIME.’ It was still a big concern in Tottenham AND WAS SHOWING THE SIGNS OF MORPHING FROM AN INNER CITY PROBLEM TO A NATIONWIDE CONCERN. More and more mothers were turning up at my weekly advice surgeries and telling me that they felt scared and HELPLESS TO STOP THEIR SONS DRIFTING INTO TROUBLE.

‘What are we doing for these women?’ I asked. ‘OFTEN THE FATHER ISN’T AROUND, AND THEIR OWN PARENTS MIGHT BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD. They’re not coping and we’ve got to find a way of helping them.’

Gordon looked at me quizzically while I spoke, as if I was missing something obvious. ‘TAX CREDITS,’ he responded, as soon as I finished. ‘If they’re single parents and they’re working, they’ll be entitled to them.’ With that there was a pat on the arm. 'Thanks, David.’ On to the next conversation.”

Now there’s a Prime Minister who knew what was happening down there on the street.

There’s a bloke who could have predicted the riots.

NOT!