AIBU to ask what is happening in Middlesbrough at the moment?

Let's at least hope they don't do a South Africa there too - they tightened up handgun ownership rules, people surrendered their firearms and received destruction notices... and the firearms were promptly sold off to criminal gangs. So that went well.

Sorry, didn't mean to derail so far.

Perhaps we should take note of the current suggestion to disarm farmers in the UK

Strawberry why does the government want to disarm farmers? Is it because in the case of civil war they are worried that farmer might be on the ‘wrong’ side?

Sorry, @38thparallel , that was actually a bit tongue in cheek - I don't really think the government are planning for a UK civil war.

But I do think that Labour misunderstand and under-value the countryside - and that they should take on board farmer recommendations rather than forging ahead based on whatever idea has popped into their head today (influenced by animal rights pressure groups).

@NancyThompson that's truly shocking.

But there is a worrying trend towards increasing government control including ID cards (the U-turn is just for the physical cards, not the information centralisation), more arrests for 'hurty words' and controlling information to manage the population.

In that context, I do find it unsettling.

Democratic socialism failed in Britain in the 80s and the only power here IS special interest groups aka private corporations. Working people have no power. Benefit takers have more rights and we are not allowed to question them: you get a mouthful if you try, moving to threats, and then get left wing led crap at work about how it was your fault for not ‘de escalating’. It’s a peculiar mix of left wing oppression at work, for the low paid - liberal fascism as it was termed - and right wing corruption at the top of society.

One thing you can guarantee about the house burners - it will be men. The values of our society are exploit, extract, and power is right. It’s a recipe for the lowest common denominator of male violence, and sadly they do seem to like their burnings don’t they?

ID cards could actually be valuable at the moment. Europe manages with them and it would be much better to have a state produced ID than constantly requiring ID which not everyone can afford to get - I’ve recently had to produce a load and I’m grateful I had it, there’s been times when I wouldn’t have had it due to expense. But I agree about the ‘hurty words’ rubbish.

When an ID card is just a stand-alone ID (similar to our passports), it's OK.

The problem is the push to unify citizen information through centralized, interconnected Digital ID system - which is the bit Labour are keeping.

That allows them far more surveillance and control over citizens - which frankly I don't trust them with.

I also don't particularly trust the government's competence in keeping that data safe and out of the hands of criminals.

They’ve managed with driving licenses and passports which are linked so I’m sure they are capable when they put their minds to it.

There's not really much a criminal can do with a passport number, so they don't put much effort into getting it and fewer defences are required.

The data becomes far more valuable to criminals when it's linked to your bank statements (targeting fraud at wealthy victims), benefit eligibility (high potential for financial fraud, without the person even being aware), personal medical information (blackmail for high profile people).

Passports don’t only have passport numbers on them.

The details on them are very useful for identity theft. Add the address on a driving licence and applying for credit fraudulently takes moments.

Bank details won’t be held in government databases anymore than they are in retailers. Health info - maybe but blackmail is quite a lot of effort.

Do you just leave your passport lying around?

you wouldn’t need the passport for fraud if you had a driving license?! It already has the name on it. What fraud can you commit with only a passport?

The more information is connected together, the more valuable it is.

I absolutely don't trust the government to keep safe the information they're looking at bringing together. Sadly, we have no choice in the matter - despite living in a democracy - because this is yet another thing the government are sneaking in with no mandate.

I know, many schools in the area having to close for the safety of children and staff. Local heads taking advice from the LA and police.

And more funerals next week so I would assume more days learning at home.

It is as if criminals are holding the area to ransom.

Can you imagine the police officers on duty having to keep people safe!

Why are we constantly trying to appease arseholes?

In one way yes, round them up.

But the bigger picture is of a danger of mass civil unrest. At the funeral and ongoing tonight and onwards. Members of the public hurt, scared or worse. Property and cars damaged, shops looted.

Really tricky to manage.

I had to drive past the crematorium when the service was taking place and it was quiet and no issues. 3 more days next week of funerals and hope it goes without any trouble

it’s embarrassing for most of us good hardworking Teesside’s to be in the spotlight for these reasons

I was born and brought up in the 70s and 80s in a seaside town near Middlesbrough. Some areas were very rough back then too and there were few/poorly paid jobs. Most people like myself who went away to uni never came back as prospects were non-existent. Having said that, Middlesbrough and Redcar at least had good shops and nightlife and were reasonable towns. When I go back now to visit family I feel so sad at how far downhill they have gone, it is truly heartbreaking and is the result of the decimation of all the local industry over the decades. I feel sorry for the many lovely and decent people who live there. This beautiful, area has been thrown on the scrap heap and forgotten by successive governments.

Reading the first and then the last page of this thread immediately is quite funny.

Maybe I am being thick but why should a whole school close because of a funeral?

Maybe I am being thick but why should a whole school close because of a funeral?

They closed early because the authorities were concerned about crowds, traffic congestion and possible disorder in the area about the time the schools would normally be coming out.
South Bank schools near A66 crash funeral close early - BBC News

What an odd sense of humour you have