Cathy Dobbs: Tough response needed over riots
This week I’ve spoken with someone that runs courses for severely disadvantaged children and teenagers.
When they turn up, the children as young as 11 often need clothes and food, and have sometimes suffered abuse. The children periodically go to school and struggle with reading.
We know there are parents that can’t cope, and thousands of children are suffering as a consequence. Britain isn’t alone in this. Look at the rioting in France, where children as young as 13 have been arrested.
French President Macron has said parents need to take greater responsibility for their children – but these are just empty words, as the majority of parents with well-behaved children wouldn’t dream of letting them join in the riots.
It’s a question that needs a tough response – and as we’ve seen in France, that just leads to more protests. Macron really can’t win.
The police also can’t win as the riots go on. Too soft with rioters and they are criticised, too brutal and they are condemned. As the song goes, a policeman’s lot is not a happy one.
When it comes to police officers the only ones I see nowadays are the cardboard cut-outs in petrol stations. Not the most thrilling of jobs, even for a fake officer – it’s no wonder he looks bored rigid.
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I’ve always liked my yellow car – it’s easy to spot in a supermarket car park and people regularly comment on it.
This week Fiat has said grey cars are boring and their car colours on offer will be inspired by Italian landscapes and “dolce vita values”. So grey is out and blues, greens and yellows are in. At least our potholed roads will be more colourful.
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A poll for ITV News Central has revealed parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are at breaking point.
Respondents said they had given up work or reduced their hours to negotiate the system, some had used the legal system to fight LEA decisions and others paid for services such as speech therapy.
One parent, Becky from Dudley, said she had to fight for everything. As a parent of a child with autism, I can confirm that often you can feel bullied and dragged down by people that seem intent on throwing obstacles in front of you.
It’s sad, but this has just become an accepted part of dealing with schools, councils and public services for many parents of disabled children.