Is the government preparing for a summer of riots?

Electoral Dysfunction

Sky News

News, News Commentary, Politics

4.4 • 764 Ratings

🗓️ 25 July 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Summer is here and the government is worrying about riots on the streets. In their final episode of this political term, Beth, Ruth and Harriet unpack No 10's briefing this week that Angela Rayner has warned about the risk of civil unrest, almost a year on from the murders in Southport that sparked a summer of violent protests.

So what is the government's strategy? And what's really going on in towns like Epping, where asylum hotels have sparked backlash this week?

Plus, the return of Sir James Cleverley to the Tory front bench: is this the start of a Conservative revival or just more reshuffling?

Remember, you can also watch us on YouTube .

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Electoral Disfunction from Sky News with me, Beth Rigby.
0:13.0	Me Ruth Davidson and me Harriet Harman.
0:16.0	Ruth, you're giving me live. Because if any of you are watching this on YouTube,
0:20.0	Ruth is at Centre Parks. And the reason
0:22.2	I know this is because of the wallpaper behind her that I once podcasted in front of as well
0:28.8	when I was at Centre Parks. And Laura, our very clever producer, has just said to me that Ruth
0:35.9	is reminding her of a Taylor Swift album
0:38.6	and she does look like she is in a Taylor Swift album.
0:41.6	For context, it's the dreary COVID album.
0:44.3	Very arty.
0:47.7	Have you been down the rapids yet 100 times?
0:50.7	I've been down the rapids.
0:51.9	I have done laser tag in the forest, like a kind of
0:55.8	capture the flag type stuff. There's archery tomorrow. I think we're going to pat some owls.
1:00.2	There's all sorts. I was going to say, I was going to say my favorite thing ever is when you go
1:05.4	and pat the owls, Harry, you get to go. Harri, it's just like, what are you too nutter? They have
1:10.4	owls and you go and you go with your little toddley children, and you sit then you get to stroke the owls. I mean, it's my favourite thing ever. They're just handsome, aren't they? They're so, yeah, and they're so soft. Oh, I'm a bit jealous, actually, now, Ruth. Actually, I'm going to move us on from ours to line s's. Did you see what I did there?
1:11.7	That is why you are... I'm a bit jealous actually now Ruth. Actually, I'm going to move us on from Ours to line
1:28.1	S's. Did you see what I did there? That is why you are award-winning broadcast professional
1:33.6	Elizabeth Rigby. Well, we've got to the final for the third tournament in a row. So that's
1:39.9	really exciting. At least we didn't have to go to penalties in that match. I can't watch penalties actually. I always hide behind the sofa. I mean, the amount of pressure on that individual person is just unspeakable. Can't do it. Can't do it. There's lots been happening this week. God, there has, hasn't there? We've got to talk about the state of the Tory front bench. Also, the return of James Cleverly, Sir James Cleverly, as he now is, having moved into
2:02.6	opposition. So let's have a chat about the big beasts are back. Does that count in a Tory
	...

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