Meacher: Tories will spark fresh riots

DAVID Cameron’s “vicious attack” on the poor will see an explosion on the streets within the next year, Michael Meacher has warned.

The Oldham West and Royton MP believes the PM is pushing ideologies to the extreme and there is an “uncanny resemblance to the scorched-earth policy” of the poll tax which brought down Margaret Thatcher.

He fears polices, including penalising those searching for work deemed not to be looking hard enough, pay freezes, reducing or scrapping housing benefits will spark riots in the streets.

Mr Meacher said: “An explosion is waiting to happen. I genuinely fear this and with the prolonged period of austerity extending into the distance people will not take it. I fear it will reach breaking point in six to 12 months. There will be one incident which will blow the situation as we experienced with the awful riots of last summer.

Mr Meacher also bitterly criticised the government’s recent suggestions of making benefit payments regional — varying the amount according to the local standard of living.

Any plan to do so would be “utterly outrageous” and almost impossible to implement, the MP warned.

“This is absolutely disgusting. I have to pinch myself to think if this is really happening. This suggestion to regionalise benefits is so one-sided — target the poor and let the rich off scot-free.

“Where would the Government draw the line to make this happen? You could have a situation where people on opposite sides of the street are in different brackets, it would cause massive problems. David Cameron has taken leave of his senses.”

Mr Cameron has said he is not setting out policy plans, merely trying to start a national debate on the future of welfare.

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