Cameron returns ... on fourth day (no hurry then)

[janelikesjam]

Am I Unreasonable to feel pissed off ... ?

I think he has come back within a reasonable time frame-don't forget the extra security required for the PM to return to London. He would have obv.been in continuous contact, there'll be a lot going on behind the scenes and I think we should aim our anger at the people out there behaving like animals-they have no excuse

It's possible to be angry at both. I am.

He is scheduled to talk at 10.30 am today
Honestly being here or not, I don't really see him being damaged by it

Boris and Carmeron are back... Phew!

Agree with this post from Meglet
I can't believe they thought saturday would be a one off. Piss poor leadership from all concerned IMO.

Soup- have I missed something or are we in the 21st century where we have things like video conferencing and all manner of ways to stay in touch wherever we are? I rather suspect he was keeping involved.

I know this isn't what you meant but I'm loving the thought of Dave by the pool, Cocktail in hand, reassuring the nation by video link!

Cameron is resembling an incompetent Bush during 9/11...

Poor poor decision to return so late

Bollocks to extra security needed to get him back so it took longer. They'd get him out of there super quick if there were riots in Tuscany.

No doubt DC will blame the Labour Govt - as usual..... I do wonder how long they can get away with that.

jenski - i know its starting to wear a bit thin now

Nice language sockpuppet-obv.they'd get him out if the riots were in Tuscany but we wouldn't be using our security services in the riots would we?! Last night they needed the police and other services out in force on the streets....not providing security for the PM getting home from the airport.

I agree with sockpoppet- trying to make Dave's late return an act of altruism on his part is absurd.

They will be recalling police officers from holidays so DC had to follow suit.

Why would David Cameron need to come back sooner? What would we need him doing that he can't do by phone - tokenly marching around on the streets with a broom, sweeping up broken glass for the cameras? As has been pointed out above - the security required would have been ridiculous and would have drawn resources away from where they are needed.

This country isn't a one-man operation. David Cameron doesn't direct the police or fire service in London. The people in charge of those jobs are here, working. There's a thing called delegation. Bringing Cameron back is just pandering to all of you who bleated "how very dare he be on holiday while there are buildings on fire in London!?!". He's just a guy - he wouldn't have been out there with a hose, he just would have been in Number 10 being updated on the situation so he could nod and look concerned. He can do that while he's taking a break.

"?Things got a bit out of hand & we?d had a few drinks. We smashed the place up and Boris set fire to the toilets". David Cameron, 7 June 1986.

"He's just a guy"... a guy who runs the country.

He should have been here, even if only to wave his arms pathetically up and down in front of a burning Allied Carpets. I don't much care what he does, it's the being here and not on holiday fiddling in Tuscany while Rome London burns which is important.

I cannot believe people are defending this decision.

It would be entirely symbolic, and I'm not much of a one for empty symbols.

"Oh look - David Cameron is here. We'd better stop looting now, he's in charge don't you know..."

"It's the Prime Minister - hey fellow emergency service workers, the Prime Minister is back in the country! Don't you suddenly have more confidence in your actions?"

The people in charge of each organisation or department have responsibility for responding to the riots, they don't need their hands held and micromanaging by "Dave" anymore now than they usually do.

Since when have riots been a one day event? That never happens. On Sunday morning they should all have come back, get out on the streets, survey the damage, reassure local people that they were on their side.

Yes it's purely a PR stunt but it means something.

We're with you. We're here. We can see what's happened to you. We actually give a shit.

The Queen Mother's finest moment came when she showed solidarity with Londoners during the Blitz.

Staying on holiday while London burns was a massive, massive mistake.

Staying on holiday carries a great deal of symbolism too.

A symbolic gesture, no matter how 'empty' would have meant a great deal- not doing so also means a great deal. It speaks volumes.

But he hasn't stayed on holiday has he? If you actually look at the time frame over which this has happened, he would have been hard pushed to get back much sooner, and had he dropped everything and run back on day one it could well have turned out to be a massive over-reaction to a storm in a teacup. Now we know it isn't that, he is home.

Yes, "bollocks" is nice. In fact it's one of my favourite words.

What difference does it make? What will he actually do? I don't think it'll make much difference but I'm surprised that they were all able to go off on holiday at the same time. In most workplaces they would not let everybody take annual leave at the same time.

Would anybody have worried about whether Dave came back from his holiday if there had been a couple of nights of rioting in Belfast? I wouldn't expect him to come back at the first sign of trouble.

really not convinced by the argument that what's important is how it "looks". Half of what goes wrong in all areas of politics is because the politicians are too concerned with this over actually doing the right thing. Ever since new Labour made "spin" the most important element of their policies it seems that being seen to be doing the right thing is far more important than what you actually might be doing. Remember when Diana died and there was all the furore over the Queen not coming down and showing us all how sad she was - no, she was a bit busy comforting her grandsons who had just lost their mother! As others have said, he will have been in constant touch with those on the ground and has come back now as it becomes clear that this is escalating.

It's indefensible. I am still staggered people think that it's ok for him to have stayed in Tuscany.

trixie- spin was around long before New Labour; or perhaps Churchill and the Queen Mother were actually pulling people from the wreckage of their houses when they visited bomb hit areas of London during the Blitz?

Cameron gets paid loads, least he could do is get back off holiday as quick as possible, to show his support.