Last month's riots gave a severe jolt to any thought that social alienation was a thing of the past. Couple that to the tide of marches and demonstrations by the far-right English Defence League and it is clear there are still enduring problems of cohesion and integration in communities up and down the land.

If we fail to tackle those problems we not only face more flash points, we will also be leaving another generation in those neighbourhoods completely stuck: socially isolated and economically unproductive.