Tag Archives: tottenham

Opinion: Lessons learned the hard way will have to be re-learned following the riots in Tottenham

By Ron Aitken | Wed 10th August 2011 - 10:36 am

As a young research assistant I was in Northern Ireland on the day of the June 1987 General Election, campaigning for the re-election of my boss the Rev Martin Smyth, Ulster Unionist MP for South Belfast and head of the Orange Order.

Elections in Northern Ireland were always conducted in a way mindful of possible violence or terrorist attack, and an RUC patrol intercepted a car in the vicinity of a school being used as a polling station. The IRA occupants of the car were found to be armed and an explosive device was also found. Mr Smyth was in the …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged #ukriots, Martin Smyth, policing and riots | 5 Comments

Brian Paddick writes: Lessons from the Tottenham riots

By Brian Paddick | Tue 9th August 2011 - 7:53 am

What can be learnt from the riots in Tottenham this weekend? There have been many controversial police shootings in recent years but this would not appear, on the face of it, to be one of them. The matter is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and from my experience that might be part of the problem. There are also deeper issues that need to be addressed.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged ipcc, policing and riots | 11 Comments

Opinion: Tottenham points to wider policing problems

By Richard Clare | Mon 8th August 2011 - 1:34 pm

The last couple of evening riots in London, starting in Tottenham and working their way across the capital, seemingly sparing no town in its wake has left us in shock. People are being injured, the police and innocent bystanders as well as the rioters and looters. Again and again though, the question that people keep asking is “What’s going on?”

They are right to ask. Unfortunately, the riots have occurred while a high number of our leading politicians are out of the country. David Cameron, George Osborne, Boris Johnson, Nick Clegg, they all could have spoken with authority on the …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged elected police commissioners, policing and riots | 16 Comments

A tale of two MPs

By Mark Pack | Wed 21st April 2010 - 3:20 pm

This story comes to us from the London Borough of Haringey.

David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham, told a hustings meeting that he has done 10,000 pieces of casework in ten years.

Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem MP for Hornsey & Wood Green, meanwhile has helped over 28,000 people in less than ten years.

(As many people have made more than one piece of casework done for them, that means the rate of work is more than three times David Lammy’s – and in less time and including a period before Lynne became an MP, i.e. before she got an office and Parliamentary …

Posted in General Election | Also tagged david lammy, hornsey & wood green and lynne featherstone | 2 Comments