Sam Metcalf
Editor of Midlands Business Insider
In Focus: Calm after the storm
Panic on the streets of London
Panic on the streets of Birmingham
I wonder to myself
Could life ever be sane again?
So sang Morrissey in The Smiths' 1986 hit Panic. And panic has spread across the Midlands this week as sporadic rioting broke out across Birmingham, Wolverhampton, much of the Black Country, Nottingham and Leicester. Derby escaped, but then people are angry enough there about the Bombardier farrago without having to go around smashing shops up.
The media are often blamed for whipping up such incidents out of all proportion, and certainly rolling news does give a heightened sense of panic with its constant breaking "news" and ever-rotating footage – as if you are watching a dozen different, yet remarkably similar shops being broken into one after other.
However, we'll give the folks at BBC News and Sky News a break for a while, for this is a week when Twitter has been the source of excellent coverage of the riots across the Midlands, whilst at the same time starting a million urban myths about mad-eyed gangs breaking into your office just because a couple of police cars can be heard in the distance.
As much as Twitter is now often the first point of call for breaking news from ordinary Joes like you and me, it can also be mighty frustrating. It's almost as if there are people sat at their computers intent on spreading as much riot porn as possible to an increasingly panic-ridden audience. A friend of mine who lives in the capital re-tweeted something about London Fields being overcome by a gang of youths carrying weapons. Whilst, a few minutes later, another friend said that he’d just walked through London Fields and it was full of kids playing. Who to believe? Who to blame?
And blame has been at the centre of much of what has happened across the Midlands this week. We've heard that parents are to blame. We've heard that government cuts are to blame. We've heard that the welfare state is to blame. We've heard that the police are to blame.
It's not my place to point the finger at one party for what's happened this week, but, for the record, I think it's a disaster for the communities that the rioters live in just as much as it is for business people of all stripes – some of whom have lost years and years of hard work through the actions of a few mindless idiots taking their supposed anger out on completely innocent people. Both will be stained by this for years to come.
One thing is for sure, local business, already in dire need of some kind of stimulus, will not fare well out of this. The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce is already reporting that the riots have cost the city about £7m. Add to that a mountain of insurance claims that will mean higher premiums across the board, and businesses surely beefing up their security in case of any prolonged disturbances.
As I write this, it's too early to say if the worst of the trouble is over. If it is, then businesses and communities face a battle to repair the damage done. Both need our support. Add to that some financial assistance for small businesses and retailers already struggling for this week’s events, and maybe – just maybe – some good can come out of the week’s horrific events.
Any Comments?
Email Us Your CommentsRecent Posts
About Sam
Sam Metcalf is assistant editor of Midlands Business Insider, and has worked at the magazine for the last five years. Based in Nottingham he writes on commercial property, corporate finance, law, and international trade.
Services
Dealmakers Services Directory
Directory Find an advisor to help you buy, sell or invest
Property Services Directory
Find an advisor across property services
Commercial Property Finder
Full commercial property listings in the Midlands
Guides
Midlands City View
The news, features and analysis that matter for your city
International Trade
Our guide provides expert analysis on a range of trade destinations
42 under 42 Members
The latest class of the Midlands brightest young business people
- Contact us
- Midlands
- North West
- South West
- Wales
- Yorkshire
- Other regions
- 0121 232 0980
- 0161 907 9711
- 0117 906 5900
- 02920 434500
- 0113 220 4410
- 0161 907 9718
- Insider regions
- Central & East
- Ireland
- Midlands
- North East
- North West
- South East
- South West
- Wales
- Yorkshire