Cameron has the opportunity to lead the nation

The recall of parliament today offers David Cameron the chance to take command of the current situation. The police might have horribly mishandled the situation on the first few nights of the riots and Cameron’s government might have been caught flat-footed by them. But he now has the opportunity to build on the successful policing of the last two nights and his strong statement yesterday and lead the national response to this crisis.

The mechanics of a parliamentary statement allow Cameron to set the terms of debate. He also has the huge advantage of simply being the Prime Minister. The nature of his office affords him the opportunity to speak for the country.

These riots have propelled up the political agenda a series of issues that Cameron has been talking about for years—the dependency culture, family breakdown, and a lack of discipline in schools and society as a whole. In many ways, this is Cameron’s natural territory far more than the deficit.