this post was submitted on 26 Oct 2024
1 points (100.0% liked)

And Finally...

1037 readers
231 users here now

A place for odd or quirky world news stories.

Elsewhere in the Fediverse:

Rules:

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Conservative MP Neil O'Brien has set out a list of policies to make Britain "vaguely civilised again" including "large and instant fines" for passengers playing music on public transport and a "crackdown on spitting".

The Leicestershire MP also called for action to stop e-scooters being " dumped across pavements" and a push to plant trees on every residential street "where this is remotely possible".

O'Brien was a minister in the previous Conservative government and is an influential thinker in the party, as the former head of the Policy Exchange think tank.

In a Substack article,, external O'Brien argued the desire to live in a "civilised, orderly society" was "one of the most under-discussed and under-appreciated things in politics".

"It is something often promised by politicians - but in my lifetime it has not been delivered."

...

Speaking to the BBC, O'Brien singled out street artist Banksy for criticism. He said his work was "valorising" graffiti.

"Graffiti is not art, it's a massive nuisance, it creates a really disorderly atmosphere.

"People have done everything they can to make their place, perhaps a business or shop, nice then some moron sprays paint all over it."

...

Matt Ashby, a crime science lecturer at University College London, says many of the actions O'Brien proposes would require "substantial investment in public services".

...

O'Brien acknowledged in his piece that the Conservative-led government cut the number of police and although the overall levels were later restored, Ashby says cuts to Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were not.

"Compared to 2010, right now we only have 44% of the PCSOs."

top 4 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 3 points 30 minutes ago (1 children)

Did Tory MP forgot they ruled UK for a few terms now?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 26 minutes ago

Apparently so. Weird that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

It's one thing to suggest this kind of thing in opposition but it's a bit cheeky after 14 years of Tory misrule where they cut public services and hammered local councils.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 27 minutes ago

Absolutely, they had many years to achieve that and its only now when election was lost that they make noise.