Parliament is being recalled again tomorrow, to debate the youth uprising that is sweeping Britain.
After he had chaired a Cabinet Office meeting of the emergency ‘Cobra’ committee, which comprises leading politicians, army, police and other sections of the capitalist state, Cameron spoke to the press in Downing Street.
Warning of harsh new measures against the youth and a regime of mass arrests, Cameron said: ‘People should be in no doubt that we will do everything necessary to restore order to Britain’s streets and make them safe for the law-abiding.’
He claimed that the scenes of unrest were ‘criminality pure and simple’.
Cameron declared ‘it’s quite clear we need much more police on our streets and even more robust action’.
He continued: ‘The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said compared with the 6,000 on the streets last night, there will be 16,000 officers tonight.
‘All leave within the Metropolitan Police has been cancelled.
‘There will be aid coming from police forces up and down the country and we’ll do everything necessary to strengthen the police forces.
‘We will make sure court procedures and processes are speeded up.
‘People should expect to see many more arrests in the days to come.
‘I am determined that justice will be done and these people will see the consequences of their actions.
‘I have this very clear message for those people who are responsible: you will feel the full force of the law and if you are old enough to commit these crimes, you are old enough to face the punishment.’
Cameron had returned early from his holiday in Tuscany, Italy.
The Metropolitan Police said Monday saw ‘the worst’ disorder in ‘current memory’ and its Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steven Kavanagh said of Monday night: ‘The Met was stretched beyond belief in a way that it has never experienced before.’
On Monday night armoured vehicles were used to push back more than 150 people in Lavender Hill, and this was described by officers as ‘a great success’.
The widespread use of armoured police and Army Landrovers is now planned and some units of the Army have been put on standby.
London’s mayor Boris Johnson also cut short his holiday to return to the city, while Home Secretary Theresa May had earlier done the same.
May was asked whether she would consider allowing the use of water cannon, the introduction of curfews or troops being brought in.
She said that ‘in these circumstances’ she would listen to what the police felt they needed to do the job.
Conservative MP Patrick Mercer, a former army officer, called for the police to use water cannon, saying he had used such ‘technology’ and found it ‘extremely effective’.
UKIP leader Nigel Lafarge agreed, saying: ‘Let’s use the Army. Let’s get them on the streets. This must stop and it must stop now.’
There were calls from several politicians for the use of baton rounds, otherwise known as plastic or rubber bullets.
Hackney’s Labour MP Diane Abbott called for a London-wide curfew to ‘regain control of the streets’.
She said: ‘What we can’t have is increasing numbers of young people coming out to loot night after night.’
