Cameron breaks his promise to help riot victims
More than two years after the riots which hit London in August 2011, barely 15 per cent of the total amount claimed has been paid out to victims.
The statistics exposed by Steve Reed MP’s Freedom of Information request also reveals that 133 compensation claimants have still received nothing at all.
Many of the riot victims who remain out of pocket are Mr Reed’s constituents. Some people have been unable to reopen wrecked businesses or rebuild destroyed homes because of a lack of compensation or because the compensation offered is not enough to replace property destroyed by looters and rioters in the summer of 2011.
This contradicts promises made by the Prime Minister and the Mayor of London immediately after the disturbances that all victims would be compensated for their losses. Since his election in November 2012, Steve has raised this matter repeatedly with the Government and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) as the responsible body for the Metropolitan Police, but compensation has still not been paid fully.
Steve has also written to David Cameron asking him to deliver on the promises he made to riot victims. Mr Reed’s request to the Prime Minister to meet victims still waiting for compensation has been ignored.
Commenting on the figures, Steve Reed MP said:
“With the eyes of the country on him David Cameron and Tory Mayor Boris Johnson, walked down the London Road in Croydon and promised the victims of the riots they would not be forgotten and would not be left out of pocket. It’s disgraceful that there are still residents and business owners facing severe financial hardship because they have received either too little compensation or nothing at all. Just 15% of the money claimed has been paid out and there are still over 130 claims where no money has been paid at all.
I have repeatedly asked the Prime Minister if he will meet with the riot victims from my constituency who feel abandoned and ignored by the Government and the Mayor of London. David Cameron has failed to keep his promise to the victims, the very least he could do is meet them, look them in them in the eye and explain why.”
You can see the media coverage of Steve’s campaign here:
BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25595050
The Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk-riots-compensation-victims-waiting-2985830
Sky News: http://news.sky.com/story/1190088/riot-payouts-victims-failed-by-pm-and-mayor