Cameron Blames Riots On Human Rights And Health And Safety Legislation
Following the riots in several English cities last week, David Cameron has vowed to get tough on the causes of the riots, and has already identified two major causes: The Human Rights Act and Health And Safety legislation.
Many will observe that, coincidentally, these two issues seem to be exactly the same as those on his list for decimation as part of his Red Tape Challenge.
Speaking at a youth centre in his Oxfordshire constituency yesterday (15th August) where he was heckled by teenagers, Cameron lectured the mainly young audience that he was going to start a war on gang culture and that behaviour in the young was to be addressed.
A major part of the speech related to what he sees as the causes of the riots:
“As we consider these questions of attitude and behaviour, the signals that government sends, and the incentives it creates...
...we inevitably come to the question of the Human Rights Act and the culture associated with it.”
He added that there “...is the twisting and misrepresenting of human rights in a way that has undermined personal responsibility.” Confirming the attack on Human Rights will continue, he told the audience that the Act was “..now exerting such a corrosive influence on behaviour and morality...” He stated that the Con-Dem(ned) coalition is looking at “creating our own British Bill of Rights.” and will be using the UK’s current chair of the Council of Europe “….to seek agreement to important operational changes to the European Convention on Human Rights.”
He continued:
“The truth is, the interpretation of human rights legislation has exerted a chilling effect on public sector organisations, leading them to act in ways that fly in the face of common sense, offend our sense of right and wrong, and undermine responsibility.”
Turning to health and safety legislation he said:
“It is exactly the same with health and safety – where regulations have often been twisted out of all recognition into a culture where the words ‘health and safety’ are lazily trotted out to justify all sorts of actions and regulations that damage our social fabric.”
In closing he sent a war cry out to those concerned about health and safety
“And as we urgently review the work we’re doing on the broken society, judging whether it’s ambitious enough - I want to make it clear that there will be no holds barred...
...and that most definitely includes the human rights and health and safety culture.”
In response Hilda Palmer, from Hazards used her Face Book campaign group, ‘We Didn’t Vote To Die At Work’ to alert people that Cameron was using the riots as a further excuse to attack health & safety.
Hilda said:
“Cameron et al (Bullingdon club rioters and wreckers, plus Clegg who committed act of arson when 16) really lost it now, blaming recent unrest on health and safety culture! Must be the last refuge of a scoundrel, shows how mad but also how determined to wreck workplace safety and health they are.”
Amazingly IOSH’s magazine Safety Health Practitioner, doesn’t seem to see what Cameron is doing by linking the riots with health & safety.
In an article on its website SHP On-Line it prefers to place a positive spin on Cameron’s speech:
“Indeed, in a departure from previous orations on the subject – in which he lambasted “excessive” health and safety regulation and the “burden” it creates – Mr Cameron did acknowledge that it is misinterpretation and misuse of the rules that are the real problem.
He said: “Regulations have often been twisted out of all recognition into a culture where the words ‘health and safety’ are lazily trotted out to justify all sorts of actions and regulations that damage our social fabric.”
Asked how all of this might affect the current review of health and safety being carried out by Prof Ragnar Löfstedt – and whether his findings may be rejected if they are not, as the prime minster said today, “big enough and bold enough to deliver the change that I feel this country now wants to see” – the Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Löfstedt review is an incredibly important part of the health and safety element of all this.
“The message to him [Prof Löfstedt] is: don’t be shy – come away with strong, positive ideas to fundamentally move on from the point of the events last week. Don’t be afraid to come back with radical suggestions and solutions.”
Commenting on the speech, the head of policy and public affairs at IOSH, Richard Jones, said:
“We are pleased that the prime minister recognises that health and safety matters, and that it is often misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the law, rather than the law itself, that causes the problems.
We are also encouraged by the Government’s commitment to changing the culture, where health and safety is ‘lazily trotted out’ as an excuse for not doing things, or doing inappropriate things. IOSH has been highlighting these issues for some time and would welcome government action to help improve understanding.”
Commenting on the SHP article, Unionsafety editor, Chris Ingram said:
“Sadly, IOSH has totally lost sight of reality in this article. Cameron's perceived change of tone is nothing more than words chosen to appear reasonable in his argument using the riots as an excuse to reinforce his attack on health & safety. There are none so blind as those who wish not to see!"
Hilda Palmer was more succinct in her response to IOSH' viewpoint:
"More utter drivel and lying complacency. There is a sick and twisted culture of immorality and irresponsibility, but its at the top of government, and companies/organisations, the markets which are looting and destroying our whole world!
Nine months referral order for stealing £1 chewing gum for a 15 year old; government job for BP chief of board responsible for decisions that led to Texas City massacre, and bonuses for all those city traders gambling on company shares going down and speculating on food and other commodities which are directly pushing millions into hunger and starvation."
Dorothy Wright from Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) said:
"So he's finally justified the total removal of all protection of workers health and safety!! health and safety regulations caused the looting and riots says he So be very afraid folks 1500 killed per year at work at moment This will soon be dwarfed Who cares about workers lives??"
Many will be asking, why no condemnation of Cameron's speech by Trade Union leaders and Labour MPs?
UPDATE: 18th August - The SHP news item has been updated and now includes a response from Hazards:
"However, pressure group the Hazards Campaign reacted angrily to the speech, calling Mr Cameron’s linking of the riots to health and safety “complete rubbish and completely crass”.
In a statement, the Campaign said: “Bad and negligent employers cost the UK economy up to £30 billion every year for health and safety failings – not our figures but ten-year-old government figures, which will be far higher now. The Government’s answer to this is to let employers get away with even more killing, injuring and making workers ill, as well as looting our economy by attacking and cutting health and safety provisions.
“Until those who run organisations are held accountable for the consequences of their actions they will go on behaving in morally and criminally irresponsible ways. We ask: when will those employers be pursued and punished in a similar way to those being sought now by the Government for rioting and looting?”
You can read Cameron’s full speech here
'We didn't Vote To Die At Work' Face Book group can be accessed here
Source: Guardian / Politics Today / SHP On-Line / Face Book
