Metro

..or will it spread more?

So Dave is back and this morning we have a meeting a COBRA – a move that was so derided in the early days of Brown’s premiership in 2007.

Maybe the idea that people at the top are fully focussed on dealing with the situation will provide reassurance to the public and to the police who’ve been asked to do a challenging job in almost a political vacuum.

My guess is that we’ll see a whole series of measures announced during thr day which at least will send the message that those in authority are trying to get a grip. Some might be cosmetic but it will be the overall impression that counts.

It was unfortunate that so many key figures were on their holidays all at the same time and I think they should have been back at least 24 hours earlier.

The experience from the 1981 flare-ups that quickly spread across England with 12 cities and towns being hit. There is a strong copy-cat element and getting on top of things early is vital.

@MikeSmithsonPB