Cameron to take on ‘moral collapse’

In what Downing Street dubbed a “fightback” address, the Prime Minister will seek to seize on the disorder as a springboard to renew his personal crusade to fix Britain’s “broken” society.

Decades of social problems “exploded in our face”, he will declare, partly due to a state system that incentivised “some of the worst aspects of human nature”.

But Labour leader Ed Miliband will accuse the premier of resorting to knee-jerk responses to the violent scenes.

In head-to-head speeches, Mr Miliband will renew his calls for a full-scale inquiry and accuse Mr Cameron of being scared to look into the real causes of social breakdown.

Mr Cameron will say: “Social problems that have been festering for decades have exploded in our face. Now, just as people wanted criminals robustly confronted on our street, so they want to see these problems taken on and defeated. Our security fightback must be matched by a social fightback. Some of the worst aspects of human nature tolerated, indulged – sometimes even incentivised – by a state and its agencies that in parts have become literally de-moralised.

“The question is: do we have the determination to put it right?”

The public, he will say, are “crying out” for the Government to act on issues that he had made a personal priority when he became Tory leader.

Meanwhile the families of three men killed after being struck by a car during riots in Birmingham have pleaded for unity.

At a peace rally in Birmingham’s Winson Green, the area where Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, suffered fatal injuries after being struck by the car, Haroon’s father Tariq said the men had not died in vain and the community should unite.

The men suffered fatal injuries when they were hit by the car early on Wednesday while trying to protect shops from looters. They were all pronounced dead in hospital.

After the deaths of the three men, it emerged that Mr Jahan attempted to revive his son after hearing the car speed away from the scene in Dudley Road.

At yesterday’s peace rally, Chief Constable Chris Sims said he was confident correct policing operations had been put in place during an “incredibly long and difficult week” in which a city came under attack from riots and looters with gangs smashing their way into shops and businesses.

“We will bring to justice people that have broken the law and we will use some compassion for those that deserve compassion as well,” he said.

Mr Jahan also took to the stage and addressed the crowd at Summerfield Park in Dudley Road. He said that seeing so many different members of the community together gave him “strength in my heart”. The 46-year-old, wearing a T-shirt with the names of , Shazad and Abdul on it, asked the crowd to remember them.

He said: “To me it’s the month of Ramadan, as a Muslim I believe that this is a very special month.

“For us Muslims we believe the gates of heaven are open and the gates of hell are shut this month, so that gives me the strength to believe that the three boys did not die in vain, they died for this community and I hope that this community will remember them.”

Abdul Qudoos, the elder brother of Shazad and Musavir, broke down as he addressed the crowd and asked them for unity.

He said: “Thank you for coming all together today. We’ve lost three brothers who were martyred, thank you for your support.”

During the event, which lasted around an hour and a half, local community music groups sang and people from different faiths and backgrounds gave speeches and said prayers.

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