Another week, another Whitehall reaction to the summer riots. Home secretary, Theresa May, and work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, revealed the Government's latest plan to tackle Britain's corrosive gang culture on 1 November.

The hallmarks of centralist interventions are there and, in fairness, many appear to be sensible reactions to an immense challenge – early intervention in the lives of those at risk of becoming gang members; assisting ‘problem families' which too often provide membership; tougher policing and sentencing for those who refuse to give up ‘the life'; and deportations for some convicted foreigners. Ms May even revealed a niche scheme to tackle female gang membership.