There’s a lively debate in the blogosphere, and particularly the bloggers circle, following Chris Grayling’s observations about similarities between inner cities in Britain and the Baltimore depicted in The Wire. Matthew Taylor questions what the Tories make of the corruption in local government given that in the UK, they run most town halls (though not in the inner cities which Grayling had in mind) whilst Henry Kippin of the 2020 Public Services Trust reminds us that politicians and popular culture do not mix.
There are lots of lessons we can’t learn from The Wire.
1. Gun crime is not out of control in the UK
As Garbo points out on the Wardman Wire, there are far less murders in the UK than the US, Manchester than Birmingham. In fact, Britain has fewer murders than France or Sweden – to name but a few. The culture of guns in The Wire presents a number of problems to the community – armed police acting irresponsibly, young lives ended prematurely, innocents caught up in gun fights, no go areas for the emergency services.
2. Local government is not corrupt
The corruption and incompetence in the state house in Baltimore is a key theme for one series of The Wire. There is corruption in local government in the UK – but nothing like on the same scale. Coincidentally, local government in the UK does not have the same discretion over public spending as the state government in the US.
3. Local news is failing, but not that badly
Local newspapers are closing in the UK all the time, for similar reasons to the pressure that the newsroom feels in the USA. However, national newspapers are much stronger and the sorts of problems experienced in Baltimore would not go unreported in the UK – witness the fuss over stabbings last year in our big cities.
4. The public safety net is wider and more effective
The public safety net in the UK is not without its problems but it is more comprehensive than in the UK. Aside from the greater security and support provided to the jobless and those insecurely housed, public services are stronger – the police, NHS, schools, social services – despite all their problems.
There are things that we can learn from The Wire. Kippin points out the challenges of attainment for so many young, black men in Baltimore. That’s not dissimilar to the UK – and we have the same problem with other minority ethnic groups. He sees “the sense of dignity, achievement and individual gain that often drives the kids on the corner”. Personally, I saw the grinding inevitability that sucked in even the best, most able individuals (Stringer, Michael, Dukie) to their seemingly inevitable under-achievement.
But most importantly, The Wire was about inter-connectedness. It was about the inter-play between the system and people. And if it taught us anything, it should have been that to begin to start fixing the problem, you have to understand the society. And Toxteth and Moss Side and bits of Birmingham, Burnley and Oldham are not like Baltimore. That’s the point made in Gang Leader for a Day as well.
The government’s New Deal for Communities was an attempt to address the systemic failings in communities, like the projects in Baltimore. Mostly it failed to meet its own aspirations. As far as I understand, it failed because it didn’t understand the local communities, didn’t empower them to fix their own problems, and didn’t address the problem in the right way.
If the Tories are serious about addressing urban failings, they must first understand the communities, networks and societies. Chris Grayling’s remarks suggest they don’t and they won’t.