Leaders try to walk a tight line between party expectations and national responsibilities

Cameron blames a deep moral failure while his opponents emphasise social inequalities as Britain’s politicians struggle to hit the right notes about the riots, writes Ariel Zirulnick

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron cut parliament’s vacation short to discuss the riots that have rocked London and other English cities in the past week.

He was in the House of Commons for close to three hours. Guardian columnist Julian Glover called it “a parliamentary form of kettling: keep the trouble makers in one place and keep them talking.” (Kettling is a tactic used by the British police to diffuse angry crowds. Officers surround the crowd, allowing people out gradually.)