Nadine Dorries’ monthly column: After the riots, should ALL of our police be armed?

This Parliamentary recess I have been truly horrified at the scenes of violent criminality taking place on Britain’s streets.

However, I would like to take this opportunity to discuss my concerns with the backlash the police force experienced during these sickening events.

I am in no way defending the force as faultless. Indeed, operational and policy issues need to be addressed.

But we must take a step back and examine the fundamental devaluation of the police and ask the whether it is this lack of respect towards law and order, and the people that implement it, that led to the sheer expanse of destruction, witnessed across the country.

In my blog on ‘Dale & Co’ a few weeks ago, I referenced ‘The Inspector’ blog, who writes about the frustration felt by police on the frontline of the riots being ordered to stand and unable to charge.

As he states, the police don’t need the army, they just need the order to charge.

Whilst the police are being ordered to stand still and watch, terrified residents and children are fleeing their homes.

One has to ask the question, if this were Australia or America, what the police response be?

Would it be like here, fear of police prosecution, fear of reprisal, due to the ethnic groups involved? Or would the riots have been stemmed at source? Would tear gas, water cannon, dummy bullets or other police aides have been deployed at source?

The irony is that these riots supposedly began as result of a shooting which may well have been justified, or not. However, should this become much more serious, I would not be in the least bit surprised to hear the call for our police to be universally armed, either in Parliament or via an e-petition.

The justification will be that the riots were the tipping point. That it’s needed in order for the police to defend themselves and us, and to impose a deterrent to would be looters and arsonists.

The justification will be that it’s need to keep order and control and to protect our communities. The very same communities we have seen destroyed over the last few nights.

And the question is, would they be right?