Faulty Wiring

In an odd way, there's something astute about shadow home secretary, Chris Grayling, name-checking The Wire recently. He probably knew that it would generate more column inches than if he hadn't mentioned the Baltimore-based cop drama at all. What's perhaps more dishonest is the predictable sniggering from broadsheet liberals who believe they're above the snobbish old Tories. As my article on Wire-sponsored debacle shows, liberal-leftists are even more vocal on condemning society's lower-orders. This article lays out some of the themes for the forthcoming debate on Chavs at this year's Battle of Ideas, along with the journalist Suzanne Moore on the panel too.