The political week on Twitter

The political week on Twitter

The political week on Twitter

By Phil Scullion

The week's best political tweets in one handy location.

Twitter reacts to breaking news of riots across the UK:

@mslulurose – The Youth of the Middle East rise up for basic freedoms.The Youth of London rise up for a HD ready 42" Plasma TV #londonriots

@JonRidge – Someone just tried to drive a Ferrari through the Oxford St mob. Words fail me.

@ClaireAshforth – "Jeez. Our cameraman, @verdycam 's car has just been torched in Salford. Unbelievable events taking hold here."

@CllrKerriPrince – The Kaiser Chiefs must be feeling pretty smug right now.

@glinner – Last person not to have heard Kaiser Chiefs joke found living in cave on previously undiscovered Pacific Island.

The government's emergency committee Cobra meets after a night of riots and David Cameron announces the recall of parliament:

@TomHarrisMP – People do love talking about meetings of Cobra, don't they? Sounds so much more dramatic than "Cabinet Office Briefing Room A"

@RossLydall – Naughty #Boris: was 15 minutes late for Cobra meeting this morning. Cameron said to have been 'furious' #londonriots

@MichaelSalvage – One minister not heading home – Owen Paterson. He's horse trekking in Outer Mongolia, 715 miles away from nearest airport. No joke. #ukriots

Clear up begins on Tuesday morning after the riots as the UK waits in anticipation of further disorder:

@JoeMCassidy – I've just seen Batman, Lion-o and She-Ra patrolling Mare Street in Hackney, don't bother here tonight lads #londonriots"

@theleica – Apparently someone tried to use Facebook to organise a riot in Plymouth. Police RSVP'ed as attending. #OperationCupOfTea

@JC_Andrew – Bringing tea to the four police officers on my street in north London. One has been on a 30+ hour shift. Heroes. #OperationCupofTea

@WaterstonesNAb – Employee from Waterstones Manchester: "We'll stay open. If they steal some books they might learn something." #riotcleanup

@johnprescott – Great video and rap from UK rapper @TayongTYN to 'Stop The Riots' http://t.co/uJSJ6q6 #riotcleanup

@jjn1 – Looters say they do it because they can get away with it. The learned that from bankers. #ukriots

@Bigbigben – It's a shame they can't loot a school and steal some education.

Tariq Jahan, father of Haroon Jahan who was killed in the riots, speaks out against any further escalation of violence, drawing widespread admiration:

@brumpolice – We would like to extend sincere thanks to Tariq Jahan and his family for reinforcing the message of calm across our communities.

@Jonathankydd – Is it not ironic that Tariq Jahan, the hero of the moment, draws strength from the very religious beliefs that so many people decry.

A special edition of BBC Question Time aired on Thursday to discuss the riots:

@FackBuster – The difference between a mugger/looter and a politician is that a politician will smile and tell you its ok as he steals your wallet. #bbcqt

@Twisted_Blood – Steal a £3.50 bottle of water = 6 months in prison. Steal £7,000 = get asked to give it back and keep job as Education Secretary. #bbcqt

@afneil – No This Week tonight. Sorry. But #bbcqt followed by One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. See if you can tell the difference #bbctw

Amid Twitter reaction to the riots cabinet officer Chris Huhne, who faces allegations of pressuring his estranged wife into taking driving license penalty points, tweets:

@ChrisHuhne – Holding weekly surgery in Eastleigh today.

@JamesWorron – Chris Huhne holding a surgery, don't all rush at once. Sorry, don't all let your wives rush at once.