Friday 19th August 2011 | 12:24

State of the Indignation

Any hope that Ed Miliband might have had to make political capital out of the riots appears to be quickly dissipating.

As David Cameron’s statements on the need to ‘rebuild broken Britain’ continue, YouGov has tested a number of messages used by journalists following the violence. As we said earlier in the week, the polling continues to pour cold water on anything that comes close to making excuses for the rioters’ behaviour.

Widespread indignation, disbelief and anger continue. It is not that people don't think there's a social and cultural basis for the riots, it's that they see these factors in a conservative light.

The full wording polled, summarised above in order of support, was as follows:

"The root cause of this mindless selfishness is a complete lack of responsibility in parts of our society, people allowed to feel that the world owes them something, that their rights outweigh their responsibilities."

"This wasn't a political protest, or a demonstration against oppression, it was a grotesque manifestation of our shallow, instant gratification, I-want-it-and-I-want-it-now consumerist society, coupled with an extreme explosion of the kind of casual violence which scars our town and city centres across Britain every weekend."

"One thing that's probably true is that the more stable and secure your life is, the less likely you are to smash windows and set fire to an assortment of buildings."

"The police are being expected to do an almost impossible job of controlling riots."

"The majority of riots are gang members whose only loyalty is to the group and whose only authority figure is the toughest of the bunch."

"Though the Government's policies have not caused the problem, they could jeopardise the solution."

"To dismiss the social, political and economic dimensions of what's happened is to ignore the chronic frustrations of a group that feels increasingly marginalised and is suffering the consequences of cuts, deprivation and uncertainty."

"Only education can provide a way forward and a way out for these rioters."

"This is what happens when people don't have anything, when they have their noses constantly rubbed in stuff they can't afford, and they have no reason to believe that they will be able to afford it."

As such, the public’s understanding of the basis of the riots chimes exactly with the messages David Cameron is sending out – around respect and responsibility and fostering a secure family life. Ed Miliband’s wish to explain the riots in their wider political context would seem to find far less support.

The other question that has revealed a Left-Right (or liberal-conservative) rift over the past week has been whether the sentences dished out by the courts have been overblown.

As the average length of sentences show below, the public clearly back the more conservative viewpoint and want severe sentences for those involved – far more, indeed, than those being dished out and condemned by some as excessive. Indeed, much as those who voted Conservative in 2010 are more likely to favour harsher sentences than those who voted Labour or Liberal Democrat, the pattern of a wish for significant prison terms is clear.

Liberals, including (on this issue) Ed Miliband, will need to tread carefully, so as not to sound completely out of touch. "There are no excuses, but..." doesn't seem to wash.