Police tackling riots in London last summer

A Kent academic is warning Britain will be hit by more riots because of rising unemployment.

Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby, from the University of Kent's Canterbury campus, has been studying what caused the violence that hit the nation's streets last summer.

His report has found poverty and redundancy are two of the biggest factors.

Prof Taylor-Gooby said he is expecting more trouble until the economy improves.

His research, which studied 26 developed welfare states between 1980 and 2005, found greater poverty, privatisation of public services and job insecurity has led to increased social disorder.

Prof Taylor-Gooby, who has previously advised the government on public policy reform, said: "The UK government's social programme involves the most profound policy changes for at least two generations.

"It is now beginning to bite. Projections by the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicate that about 500,000 more children will be in poverty by 2015.

"The reforms to the NHS and social care, the harsh cutbacks in funding for Sure Start and for local government and the policy of contracting services like the Work Programme to the commercial sector will privatise a substantial part of state services.

"More stringent eligibility tests for benefits and changes to employment protection in a context of rising unemployment mean greater job insecurity.

"Last summer the poorest areas of big cities experienced the most violent riots for a considerable period.

"This was followed by major demonstrations and the largest strikes against government policies - particularly the public sector pension cuts - since the 1980s.

"Similar unrest is evident elsewhere in Europe. As 2012 progresses we will see further increases in poverty, rising unemployment, greater insecurity for those in work and more privatisation as the welfare state is cut back.

"We will also see more riots, demonstrations and strikes disrupting our cities."