Conservative MP Neil O’Brien has set out a list of policies to make Britain “vaguely civilised again” including “large and instant fines” for passengers playing music on public transport and a “crackdown on spitting”.
The Leicestershire MP also called for action to stop e-scooters being " dumped across pavements" and a push to plant trees on every residential street “where this is remotely possible”.
O’Brien was a minister in the previous Conservative government and is an influential thinker in the party, as the former head of the Policy Exchange think tank.
In a Substack article, external O’Brien argued the desire to live in a “civilised, orderly society” was “one of the most under-discussed and under-appreciated things in politics”.
“It is something often promised by politicians - but in my lifetime it has not been delivered.”
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Speaking to the BBC, O’Brien singled out street artist Banksy for criticism. He said his work was “valorising” graffiti.
"Graffiti is not art, it’s a massive nuisance, it creates a really disorderly atmosphere.
“People have done everything they can to make their place, perhaps a business or shop, nice then some moron sprays paint all over it.”
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Matt Ashby, a crime science lecturer at University College London, says many of the actions O’Brien proposes would require “substantial investment in public services”.
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O’Brien acknowledged in his piece that the Conservative-led government cut the number of police and although the overall levels were later restored, Ashby says cuts to Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were not.
“Compared to 2010, right now we only have 44% of the PCSOs.”
Did Tory MP forgot they ruled UK for a few terms now?
Apparently so. Weird that.
I guess emotional trauma from losing an election will do that.
I’m sold on the no music on public transport thing, having some basic consideration for the people around you should be mandatory.
Yeah but the “instant, large fines” are going to be difficult. Especially if your ringtone is a song…
The trees idea was nice. The rest is very typical grievance politics.
It would be pretty obvious if someone’s phone is ringing versus them listening to music.
Also, confiscate the device until the fine is paid.
The phone? The actual device most people use to access their money?
Nobody’s going to bat for antisocial behaviour here, but we would need more of a think about the practicalities of such a law.
It’s one thing to suggest this kind of thing in opposition but it’s a bit cheeky after 14 years of Tory misrule where they cut public services and hammered local councils.
To be fair, he wasn’t the government.
Some of those ideas are rather good. No way it’ll work though as people are just entitled arseholes now and don’t care about anyone but themselves.
Absolutely, they had many years to achieve that and its only now when election was lost that they make noise.
