09/06/2026
This morning, on my way into the University to grade some exam papers, I stopped to speak with a neighbour who shared her frustration and disappointment about the state of our local area and, more broadly, the country as a whole.
She mentioned the tragic news of the 12-year-old boy who was reportedly murdered in Brentwood yesterday. Incidents like this are beyond difficult to comprehend, and words fail me. It's so sad.
The attached video commentary, which I watched on the train earlier, reflects the daily concerns that many people are expressing across the UK, not just in Romford or wider Havering. There is a growing sense of frustration that criminal behaviour is not being dealt with firmly enough anymore. At the same time, many feel that those who speak out about rising crime and antisocial behaviour face greater scrutiny than the offenders themselves. You can't make it up.
It leaves many law-abiding citizens asking difficult questions. We work hard, we contribute to society, we pay our taxes, and we try to do the right thing. Yet too often it feels as though those efforts are taken for granted. Our kids can't afford to buy a home or start a family. We're building alot of homes in Havering, that are then given to people from other boroughs (or even countries - sorry if that offends you, but it's a fact). Many believe we're financing our own demise.
For a long time people have raised concerns that the political establishment has become disconnected from the concerns of ordinary people. I can see why they would think this. Whether you agree or disagree, it is clear that public confidence is being tested more than ever before. The left-wing of our politics has lost it - many of them are cheering this on, they are encouraging it and trying to silence plain speaking.
The UK has seen better days (it saddens me to think that my children may never get to experience those better days). An average of 45 millionaires are leaving the UK every day. They can leave. There's going to be no dynamic element to our culture and economy at this rate - it's heading towards "tax the good, ignore the bad".
Promoted by Carl Benjamin, PO Box 4354, Swindon, SN3 9FX, on behalf...