Our reporters hit the streets to talk to the public in our major cities across the UK about the news making the headlines this week. In this episode, we look at whether we feel we can trust authority, should we pay more tax to fund a better police force, and what telly you'd like to see return from the good old days.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 Welcome to The Verdict on the Street, the show that
00:14 listens to its audience.
00:17 We're going to take some of the hottest topics
00:19 out onto the streets of Britain to ask you
00:22 what you think of them.
00:24 In a world that seems full of experts,
00:26 sometimes it's the opinions of the people on the street
00:29 that really matter.
00:30 So, great British public, it's over to you.
00:35 We send our reporters out into a number of cities across the UK
00:38 armed only with a camera and a microphone
00:40 to ask simply, what do you think?
00:42 Here's what's coming up on this week's agenda.
00:49 Following numerous scandals in major institutions in the UK,
00:52 have we now lost trust in authority?
00:55 Would you be prepared to pay more tax
00:57 to pay for more police officers?
00:59 And which classic TV shows would you
01:01 like to see return to the box?
01:03 Let's make a start then.
01:08 And first, we're asking a question about authority.
01:11 The UK has been rocked recently by a number of scandals, which
01:13 has led us to see some of our most trusted organisations
01:16 and institutions in a very different light.
01:19 The Post Office Horizon scandal has
01:21 uncovered one of the biggest miscarriages of justice
01:23 in British history, as some postmasters were imprisoned,
01:27 vilified, and left bankrupt by incorrect prosecutions.
01:30 Police forces across the country find themselves
01:33 being investigated for serious incidents of racism, misogyny,
01:36 and homophobia.
01:37 And as the COVID inquiry rumbles on,
01:39 we find our government's behaviour and decision-making
01:42 increasingly wanting, not to mention the national disgrace
01:45 of so-called partygate.
01:48 So do we trust those who hold some of the highest offices
01:50 of power in our country?
01:56 I think in authority, I don't think
01:57 there's anyone that could be trusted in authority
01:59 at the moment, because there's so many scandals and things
02:01 that are going on in the world, as things going on with,
02:03 like I said, the post office scandal,
02:05 things going on in politics, things going on in the world.
02:07 I don't think that anybody can be trusted in the government
02:10 or in power, because they're clearly not doing a good job.
02:12 If there was a computer error that landed people in jail,
02:15 you know, you can't get that time back.
02:17 So I don't think that there's anyone that's actually
02:19 being investigated properly.
02:21 Certainly not politicians.
02:22 I don't think we can drift politicians that
02:24 contradict each other.
02:26 They go back on their words.
02:29 They do the opposite of what they say, basically.
02:35 And the police, police are in court a lot.
02:38 The police are being prosecuted for all kinds of things.
02:43 I've given up after--
02:45 I mean, I watched the post office programme,
02:46 watched it right the way through.
02:48 And to think that that can go on in 2024
02:51 and still be going on after 20 years.
02:55 They're all the same.
02:57 I voted Tory, but I think if Labour
03:00 get into power, they'll be exactly the same.
03:04 I don't see anyone that much better or worse
03:07 than everybody else.
03:08 I have no idea.
03:09 You can't trust anybody, really, can you?
03:11 You listen and make your own opinions, don't you?
03:14 That's all you can do.
03:16 Same with voting.
03:18 Who do you vote for?
03:19 No idea.
03:20 Just the police in general.
03:22 The post office, well, I think they need some bosses who
03:25 know what they're doing.
03:29 Other authorities, yeah, I think they're doing a good job, yeah.
03:32 People are people, whatever their role in life is.
03:37 They either have that within them.
03:39 And I will say, as a Christian myself,
03:42 that I think it's where people are in their own lives.
03:46 And then whatever they're tasked to do,
03:49 that will come through.
03:50 I think a lot of the things we've seen over the past few
03:53 years, I don't think a lot of these people
03:54 are trustworthy, to be honest.
03:56 But I suppose you have to take a gamble, because they're there.
04:01 They need to be used, you know what I mean?
04:03 Well, it's difficult to say, because it's
04:05 under different management now.
04:06 But you certainly feel really badly let down
04:10 by the previous leadership, past leadership of the post office,
04:14 in not taking responsibility.
04:16 And also in the politicians not cottoning on,
04:21 why were there so many examples of potential corruption
04:25 suddenly appearing?
04:26 That should have sent alarm bells that there was something
04:29 else going on, whereas lots of innocent people
04:32 have had their lives ruined.
04:34 And they've taken far too long to sort out the matter
04:38 and to pay compensation.
04:39 I don't trust many politicians, to be honest.
04:42 I have no idea.
04:44 It's a good question.
04:45 And I really-- I don't know.
04:47 I think a lot of people lie, unfortunately.
04:51 Yeah, it's very depressing.
04:53 It's really hard to keep your blooms away.
04:56 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:01 So we can all grumble about the state of the country,
05:03 but it all needs paying for.
05:05 Tax increases are never popular, especially at the moment.
05:08 But some police and crime commissioners
05:10 are proposing that a rise in council tax
05:12 could be implemented to fund the police force.
05:15 Are greater numbers of bobbies on the beat exactly what
05:17 we need right now?
05:18 Or is it another tax too far?
05:20 I would be prepared to pay more tax
05:26 to see more police officers.
05:28 But I feel like the police have to prioritise
05:33 what they investigate.
05:34 I don't think they spend enough time investigating fraud.
05:38 I think there's a lot of pressure on them
05:40 from different people who want to push their own agenda.
05:43 So I would pay more to get a better service from the police,
05:46 whether that means more police on the beat.
05:48 One response there to the question of more tax
05:51 for more police officers.
05:53 The government say they plan to increase their proposed funding
05:56 package for 2024-25, pledging up to 18.4 billion pounds
06:02 to support the police in reducing crime,
06:05 addressing anti-social behaviour, and pursuing
06:08 county lines gangs.
06:09 If elected, Labour intends to enact laws
06:12 to enhance local police patrols, aiming
06:15 to recruit 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers,
06:19 each assigned to a specific community,
06:22 supported by legislation to ensure more community
06:25 patrols targeting anti-social behaviour and crime.
06:29 I mean, where are they?
06:31 Crime happens.
06:33 You ring.
06:34 You can wait 12, 15 hours sometimes.
06:36 The next day, they don't see it of any importance.
06:39 So you're waiting around for things that have happened,
06:41 crime reference numbers until they come to see you.
06:44 You keep waiting over a day.
06:45 So you can't-- what are they doing?
06:47 If I was working, definitely be up for that.
06:50 You know, if I thought I could help the police in some ways,
06:52 because I'm a citizen that agrees with,
06:55 if you've done wrong, you've done wrong,
06:57 and you should pay the price.
06:58 Why should we have to put up with it in this day and age?
07:00 Police aren't running a very good way.
07:02 The Met has started taking steps to put its house in order,
07:05 but it has a long record of mishandling cases,
07:09 and misogyny, and institutional racism,
07:11 which needs sorting out.
07:13 Spending it for police, I don't really see that.
07:16 As myself, being a mixed race person,
07:18 and being stopped by police multiple times for things
07:20 I haven't even done, I wouldn't really
07:23 assume that's the way to go.
07:24 I think it'd be better to put that tax money to, like I said,
07:27 education, schools, children, and actually teach children
07:30 and teach people why violence was wrong.
07:32 You need some criteria where that funding's going to go to.
07:36 And you've got some criteria, and it's
07:38 going to grassroots, or is it into actually people
07:41 where you can see it's been making a difference.
07:43 If you look after the younger generation,
07:45 they look after you later, right?
07:48 And they'll be good citizens.
07:51 So it'd be a good idea to have a bit more police on the beat,
07:55 pay a bit more tax.
07:56 Well, the latest figures from the Office
07:58 for National Statistics do give an interesting picture
08:01 on the state of crime in the UK.
08:04 They say it's fallen to its lowest level on record.
08:07 Incidents of violent crime have dropped by 28%
08:10 in the year to June 2023.
08:13 They say the decline has been driven
08:15 by a fall in criminal damage and fraud offences being
08:18 recorded by the police.
08:20 The drop is a significant 20% decrease
08:23 on levels before the pandemic.
08:25 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:29 Finally, nostalgia for the golden age of television
08:32 often stems from a romantic view of the past,
08:34 with fewer channels and less competition.
08:37 The current era has diverse boundary-pushing content,
08:40 but some pine for the days of classic network television.
08:44 What would you bring back if you could?
08:45 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:49 Which show from the past would you most like to see come back?
08:54 Sunday Night at the London Palladium,
08:56 because it gave some of the up-and-coming comedians
08:59 the new ones.
08:59 It's a springboard for them to get there.
09:02 It started Lenny Henry.
09:03 It started Jimmy Tarbic.
09:05 It started many, many Liverpool comedians, Ken Dodd.
09:08 And I just think something like that, it's a variety show,
09:11 and it makes people happy.
09:13 Football Italia.
09:15 Jason James Richardson was a great presenter.
09:17 I loved seeing how Palmer did with Zola up front.
09:21 It was probably Breaking Bad.
09:24 But to see a kind of revival of that would be great.
09:26 Excellent.
09:27 Well, believe it or not, I'm watching the ones
09:29 from the past now.
09:30 I taped them to make sure I could see them.
09:33 Which shows have you taped so you can watch?
09:36 The Champions, NCIS, I know all that.
09:40 Yeah, I taped them to make sure I could do it myself.
09:42 I know there's a film coming out called The Fall Guy.
09:45 So I used to love that back when I was kind of growing up.
09:50 That was an old American TV show.
09:54 That's really difficult, because really, at the moment,
09:57 it seems that most of the things that I am watching on the screen
09:59 are things from the past.
10:01 But I can't, at the moment, think of something
10:04 that I can say, yeah, this is what I want to see.
10:07 But I have enjoyed seeing a lot of the old things come back.
10:09 So thank you for that.
10:11 I don't know, because all I'm thinking about
10:13 is The Traitors at the moment.
10:14 I mean, that's a great new one.
10:16 Didn't watch The Gladiators, actually.
10:18 And I'm not really sure.
10:21 I need to start watching Succession, don't I?
10:24 That's won that award.
10:25 I haven't watched that one.
10:26 I know for a fact that you told me about Gladiator.
10:30 Didn't you?
10:31 Another one with the things, with the games,
10:33 they're back on telly again, isn't it?
10:35 Yeah.
10:36 Are they shown?
10:36 You happy that's back, then?
10:38 Yes.
10:38 I can't even think of any good dramas,
10:44 but really good dramas, based on books, usually.
10:49 To be fair, in my opinion, there was a lot of TV shows
10:51 that had their time.
10:52 But I think now, with the way things are,
10:54 and the politically correct and certain things,
10:58 I don't think that a lot of TV shows can be shown.
11:00 Now, with a lot of the way things have been sensitised
11:03 and the way that things have been governed,
11:05 there's a lot more control on what can be said on TV
11:07 and what can't be said on TV.
11:09 Even things like YouTube as a platform,
11:11 there's a lot more people getting demonetised just
11:13 for saying things that they think is funny.
11:15 Knowles House Party.
11:18 Tell me what you liked about Knowles House Party.
11:20 All of it was funny.
11:23 We were so happy and all, hadn't we?
11:25 All of it was good.
11:30 Yes, the generation game.
11:32 I used to really like that.
11:33 That was really-- could be really funny.
11:36 I think that would be a good idea to bring back.
11:39 And the series that--
11:40 I don't know if I could continue it, though,
11:42 from a few decades ago.
11:43 When the boat comes in, I always liked that.
11:45 And it finished a bit peculiarly,
11:47 so maybe they could somehow do a sequel to it.
11:52 [MUSIC PLAYING]
11:55 (upbeat music)
11:58 (upbeat music)