Leading Article: Anarchy in the UK? Hardly...

Refreshed by his holiday and concerned to address his party's flagging ratings, David Cameron was playing at once soft man and hard man yesterday. In an interview dominated by social issues, he said: "We are not going to deal with anarchy in the UK unless we actually strengthen families and communities in the UK." To which we would respond: what anarchy? Where can the Conservative Party leader possibly have spent his two weeks away if the Britain he returns to looks like anarchy?

Clearly, Mr Cameron is attempting to banish the popular image of a party leader not averse to "hugging a hoodie". But to suggest that anarchy rules in Britain smacks of desperation. It is the same desperation that spurred the Chief Constable of Cheshire, Peter Fahy, to call for tougher action against underage drinkers and propose raising the legal drinking age to 21. The same desperation, too, that had 65 per cent of respondents to a YouGov survey for GMTV and the Daily Mirror calling for under 16s to be locked up after dark.

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We have no illusions about the apprehension many people feel about the world outside their front doors. Groups of young people hanging around with not much to do can be intimidating, and not just for elderly people and women walking alone. But if Mr Cameron thinks this is anarchy, he needs to travel some more.

Much of the fear reported by people who respond to polls is exaggerated, amplified by sensational reporting of violence that is, in fact, very rare. The killings of people like Garry Newlove, who challenged a group of young people outside his home in Warrington, or Evren Anil, beaten after complaining about half a chocolate bar thrown into his sister's car, make the headlines partly because they are so unusual. Crime overall has been falling.

The perceived threat posed by teenagers with not enough to do is hardly new. What is true is that the options for young people with a lot of time and not much money are often very limited, not only by their own lack of enterprise, but by the paucity of youth centres and open spaces where they can enjoy themselves and hang out legitimately. Overzealous use of Asbos risks criminalising a generation.

A regular police presence, better street-lighting and, above all, more money earmarked for youth work, with less bureaucracy attached, are all measures that could help diminish the fear factor and might even pay for themselves. What is not needed, however, is for politicians to fan a national sense of panic in the hope of short-term political gain. There may be some drugs, drunkenness and disreputable behaviour on our streets, but it is very far from anarchy. Mr Cameron was right about hoodies the first time round.