12.08.11
Petition for rioters to lose benefits
The first e-petition to gain 100,000 signatures calls for those found guilty of involvement in the riots should lose their benefits.
Passing the benchmark means that the idea will now be considered by a Parliamentary committee to see if it is suitable for debate in Parliament.
The Cabinet Office, which runs the e-petitions website, has confirmed the e-petition submitted by Stephen Mains, saying "convicted London rioters should loose [sic] all benefits" has reached 100,000 signatures.
The petition argues: “No taxpayer should have to contribute to those who have destroyed property, stolen from their community and shown a disregard for the country that provides for them.”
Prime Minister David Cameron, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have expressed sympathy with suggestions that rioters should be evicted.
Cameron commented: “I think there may be opportunities, possibly through the new criminal justice and sentencing legislation, to make sure we are better at confiscating things from people when they commit crimes because we have got to look at all the ways we can of making sure our punishments are robust.”
Other MPs, such as Labour’s Kevin Barron are concerned that evicting tenants found to have been engaged in criminal activities and moving them to different housing will not solve the problems behind the behaviour.
If the petition is chosen for a Commons debate, there is no guarantee it will become law.
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